Author's Notes:

'A Shepherd's Crook' is a new tale in the Chronicles of Ben Shepherd. The chronological order of the stories is:

• The Shepherd of Ashburn Court -- Parts 1 - 5

• A Shepherd in France -- Parts 1 & 2

• A Shepherd Afield -- Parts 1 - 5

• The Shepherd's Crook -- Part 1 & 2

Minimal effort is made in this tale to explain the backstory, so please read the other stories first.

All characters engaging in sexual relationships or activities are 18 years old or older.

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A Shepherd's Crook -- Part 2

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Chapter 9

As he flew through the skies in another of Sky Shepherd's sleek black jets, surrounded by the happy chatter of the beautiful women accompanying him to LA, Ben's sense of reality slipped, just a little.

The changes his life was undergoing in recent days seemed to be accelerating.

It had only been, what, less than two weeks since Captain Kendricks presented the condition for his continued interaction with the US Military's Engineering Teams.

A live-in security operative.

Sergeant Killcade was a one-woman Seal team and a blue-eyed angel of death, according to one of her former teammates. Ben spoke to the soldier when he visited David in Washington, DC to finalize the arrangements.

The fact that he'd received unanimous agreement from all of his neighbors when he'd called a meeting to discuss bringing the Sergeant into their midst spoke of their trust in him, and that affected him deeply. He was still getting used to having the ladies in his life showing him their devotion. Having the Wilson, McKellan, Brown, King, and the extended Hernandez and Sellini families backing him as well was overwhelming.

Ben's chair was swiveled to face down the aisle, so he looked to the far seat to see the Sergeant gazing out the window. She didn't appear to be relaxing back in the jet's decadently plush chair. As if feeling his attention, she immediately turned her head to look in his direction. Her startlingly blue eyes locked on his as she raised a brow in question. He just responded with a small shake of his head and a smile then looked away.

Ever attentive, ready to act on his every command, the Sergeant was doing her very best to prove her value in his household. He had to admit; she was an excellent administrative assistant. Much to her delight, he'd set up a workstation for her in his lab. She'd already organized his filing system and implemented a digital repository for all of his previous work, searchable by many intuitive attributes. He couldn't fault her work.

If only she wasn't so... intense, and fixated on him. He'd tried to dispel her notion of his genius, but she just smiled at him knowingly, like they were sharing a private joke.

His eyes moved to take in the happy faces of his other guests on this shopping trip; Trish sat next to Catherine with Lisa and Lori facing them in a quad of seats. The four were talking animatedly. Tina and Lucy sat facing him, their babies at home, being well cared for by Daphne and the assistants who'd been arranged and vetted by the Sergeant.

The trip was only for a few days, and he thought they'd appreciate the short break. They certainly seemed happy as they grinned at him.

"We're going dancing?" Tina asked in delight as she overheard Lisa talking about an LA dance club for which she'd read reviews.

Ben smiled at her. "I don't see why not."

The twins cheered, and Ben saw smiles on the faces of Trish and Catherine.

He didn't have any fixed plans for this visit which, after his visit to Europe, he appreciated.

Nope, this was a shop 'til you drop visit. Part one, at least. He promised a second trip for the ladies who couldn't join him on this shopping spree. He recalled Gabriella suggested New York City for the next one. She'd be traveling back to the big city in a week or two. Her business was growing quickly, and he was so damn proud of her!

His eyes moved to Catherine whose fundraiser had once again pulled in a healthy contribution. He saw Tina was smiling at him and somehow he was sure she knew what he was thinking.

The petite Korean beauty filled his life with joy. Combined with Lucy, they were a formidable force to be reckoned with.

Now the two of them were giving him sexy knowing smiles.

This led his mind to the sleeping arrangements for the trip. Tina had booked the hotel, after getting his approval for the ridiculously expensive rates, but he couldn't recall the details of how many rooms she'd arranged for them. He remembered what happened during their last trip to France, specifically when visiting Gabriella's cousin's B&B in Saint Pierre d'Albigny.

He'd been unaware that the ladies worked out a schedule to share his bed, or rather have him visit them in theirs. As he'd been traveling with eight women who all craved his attention, he'd been more than a little exhausted when it was time to leave the B&B.

Then Gabriella surprised him on the last evening with a request for him to spend the night with her cousin Stephanie. The woman was a brilliant artist, but as she was also blind and chose to live a somewhat reclusive life, she'd confessed to her cousin that she missed the touch of a man. She'd been flirting with him throughout their visit, Ben wasn't immune to her beauty and charm, and he truly liked her, so he'd agreed. She'd more than made up for her unintended celibacy that evening, wearing him out so thoroughly, he'd had difficulty waking the following day.

Now he was looking at a couple of nights in a fancy hotel with six women who might have expectations. He wasn't sure how this was going to work. He looked closer at Tina's mysterious smile, but she was giving nothing away.

Ben pushed those thoughts aside. He'd have time to get an answer from her soon enough. He settled back and closed his eyes to recharge his batteries.

Just in case.

-=-

The Beverly Wilshire hotel was every bit as posh as Ben expected. One of the ultimate Hollywood experiences for their brief visit to the west coast. It had the bonus of being steps away from their main shopping destination. The ladies were all smiles and giggles as they checked in. The staff was friendly and efficient and the reception clerks greeted Ben with broad smiles. Their familiarity with celebrity and wealth prevented them from gawking too much at Ben. Some of the other guests weren't quite as discreet with their attention, but Ben did his best to ignore this.

They had four rooms, two sets of adjoining rooms just across the hall from each other. Tina eventually explained that Trish would share a room with the Sergeant for their stay. She'd had Ben all to herself on the trip to Europe so she'd just enjoy being with him during their daytime outings.

Ben would have company in his room on the three nights they were staying in the hotel.

By the time they'd settled into their rooms, there wasn't much daylight left, so dinner was their next order of business.

Once more Tina worked a miracle and snagged a table for them at Spago which had a last-minute cancellation on a large table. Ben's name sealed the deal, and the table was theirs.

The ladies slipped on their sexy cocktail dresses, the Sergeant opting for her dress uniform, and Ben wore his usual dark suit which sent tingles through Tina and Lucy when he posed for them.

The restaurant was only a brief walk from the hotel. Ben was annoyed to find a small crowd on the narrow sidewalk outside. He managed to get his group through them and inside, but the flashes from the paparazzo's cameras were dazzling and unwelcome.

Finally, they were inside standing by the hostess desk. Ahead of them, a bearded man was speaking to the hostess in exasperation. A second gentleman, slimly built and wearing a rumpled suit, had dark skin and salt and pepper hair. He waited at his friend's elbow with a resigned look on his face. It was difficult to avoid overhearing that there was no record of their reservation. Tina was all smiles as she recognized the speaker. He'd been in so many movies and was one of the lead actors in a new crime drama series on TV she and Lucy binge watched. She looked hopefully at Ben. He nodded.

"Excuse me, Mr. DeMonte?" Tina said touching the man's elbow.

The actor turned to look down at Tina's smiling face. "Yes?" Then his eyes rose up to see Ben's smile. Recognition flared in the actor's eyes, and he froze.

Tina continued. "We're a party of eight at a table for ten, so you are welcome to join us."

He looked to his partner who was also watching Ben in delighted surprise. He smiled and nodded, so Phil turned back to Tina. "Thank you. That's very nice of you. We'd love to."

Ben held out his hand. "Ben Shepherd."

"Yes- uh, Phil DeMonte. This is Eric Thompson," the actor said as he shook the big hand. Ben shook the other man's hand as well then turned to the ladies with him and made the introductions. The hostess spoke to some busboys who adjusted their table to have the additional two place settings added once more.

Once Ben completed the intros, a hostess guided them to their table and Tina moved Ben to the chair at the end and their guests to either side of him. The remaining seats were filled quickly with Trish, Lisa, and Lori next to Phil and Catherine, Tina, and Lucy next to Eric.

The Sergeant was pleased to take the chair at the other end of the table as this gave her the best vantage point to the rest of the restaurant, a clear view of Ben, and those behind him.

"I hope we aren't interfering," Ben suggested tentatively.

Phil and Eric shook their heads with smiles. "No, we were just in town for a meeting with a studio to discuss a new project proposal. The studio was to set up a reservation for us, but it seems they dropped the ball on that too," Phil grumbled and got a frustrated nod from Eric.

"I'm sorry to hear that. It's nice you could join us though!" Ben offered and got smiles from everyone.

"What brings you to Beverly Hills?" Eric asked.

"Just a little sightseeing and, of course, shopping," Ben said. That made the ladies grin and giggle.

"Don't forget the dancing!" Tina said happily. Ben nodded to her.

The waiter arrived, and at Ben's prompting, Catherine ordered a couple of bottles of good wine.

"As our guests, dinner's on me," Ben said as he smiled at the actor and his friend.

"Oh!" Phil traded a look across the table, but Eric just smiled happily. "Thank you!" He leaned a little closer to Ben. "I feel like we should be treating you as you're getting the lion's share of attention in the media these days."

Ben sighed wearily. "Yeah, no matter how hard I try to stay out of the damn spotlight."

Phil snorted. "You're in the wrong town for maintaining anonymity." He looked around at the surrounding tables and saw more than one guest looking their way. "You're in the wrong restaurant for that matter."

Ben nodded agreement with a shrug. "Yeah, but I promised them a shopping trip, and they chose to eat here," he said.

Eric nodded then looked to Ben. "There's been a lot of speculation. Are you planning to tell your story at some point?" he asked, clearly intrigued by the notion.

"To the public? No. It's for family only. Besides, I'm just a mechanical engineer! My life isn't interesting enough to be... entertainment," Ben scoffed.

Trish snorted then delicately dabbed her napkin against her nose with the smallest smile on her lips. Phil and Eric understood her meaning and caught the skepticism on the other lady's faces. Then the actor noticed the secret little smile on the Sergeant's face.

He caught Evelyn's eye. "You don't agree?"

She shook her head then answered in a matter of fact tone. "Mr. Shepherd isn't just a mechanical engineer. He's a brilliant mechanical engineer."

The actor turned his smile to Ben who shrugged as he shook his head slightly.

"Still. Not a public story," Ben insisted. He decided to push the conversation back to his guests. "Can you tell us what your project is?"

Eric nodded to Phil, and it was his turn to shrug.

"Eric brought this idea to me, and we've been working on it for a little more than a year. We want to shine a light on some brave young people in a documentary style movie. A series of stories based on kids that slipped through the cracks of society but found a way to make it on their own."

Ben's chest felt a little tight as that story was a little too close to his own life, but he took a deep breath and moved on as he looked to Eric. "Documentary style but fiction?"

He shook his head. "No, these are true stories about real people and the content will be raw and profoundly evocative. We met the kids. Most indicated they don't want to be in front of the camera, but they agreed to let us tell their story. For those unwilling to portray themselves, we'd use unknown actors. This will add an edge of reality in their performances.

Ben thought about that for a bit. "The studio wasn't interested?" he asked quietly.

Phil shrugged. "We've shopped this around. No one is interested in doing it-"

"Our way," Eric clarified. "They won't do it our way. It's not a guaranteed money-maker without the well-known talent in it. The studios are risk-averse at the best of times. I suppose it was a long shot."

When the wine arrived, Ben indicated he'd pass and asked for some bottles of spring water for the table. A second waiter arrived with the water immediately behind the first. Ben filled his glass and looked up as the others had raised their wine glasses for a toast. Everyone looked at Ben.

"Ah, me. OK. Uh, here's to a successful visit; shopping for us and success in finding backing for your project," Ben finished, looking to the group.

"Cheers!"

Once the glassware was back on the table, Phil turned to Ben. "What exactly does a Mechanical Engineer do? You must be doing well to spring for a shopping trip in this town!"

Ben shrugged. "I invent solutions for engineering issues. Sometimes these inventions can be used across multiple industries or have multiple purposes. I own the patents and license their use, or I sell the patent. I invest carefully, and I live frugally... well, most of the time."

"Would I know anything you invented?" Phil asked.

Ben shook his head. "Not likely. My last invention was a radioactive particle filter for uranium mining trucks at a company in Melbourne. This design adapts easily for buildings, hazmat suits, whatever, so I kept the patent to license it. I have a contract with a company in Texas to manufacture them and a contract with the Uranium mining company to market them. The US military is purchasing them for its use, and that generates revenue." Ben saw Eric's expression darken. "Hang on! I'm not overbilling the government. I keep the unit cost low and focus on volume. That way the filter's base price can remain low enough to expand its marketability. They're getting them for a decent price." Eric seemed to accept that. "I have many patents for all kinds of different things, none of which you'd recognize or be impressed by seeing first hand. They work and eliminate an issue someone reported on an engineering chat board. For me, they're puzzles, and it's deeply satisfying to solve them. But, nothing is exciting there for the general public to be thrilled about."

The waiters returned and took their orders.

Before Phil could ask Ben his next question, he caught the motion of someone approaching their table. He looked up, and up, into the smiling face of Dwayne Johnson. Next to Dwayne was a heavyset man with a broad smile.

"Phil! What a strange coincidence, bumping into you today!" the muscular actor said.

Phil glanced at Ben awkwardly then shook the offered hand. "Hi... Dwayne. Coincidence?"

"I don't mean to interrupt your dinner, but I was just here with Steven Koch- have you met Steven?" He brought the man forward to shake Phil's hand, but Steven kept glancing at Ben. Then Dwayne continued. "Steven contacted me today to offer me the lead role in a new movie, playing... Benjamin Shepherd." Dwayne turned his smile to Ben but didn't see the smile he expected. His eyebrows went up.

Phil jumped in to fill the tense silence. "Speaking of strange coincidences, Ben here just finished telling me he doesn't believe his story is worthy of a movie and that it's for family only."

Dwayne nodded thoughtfully. He looked at Ben. "Understood. I respect your desire for privacy, and I wasn't aware that you were so opposed to the idea of a movie. That said, one of the studios is going to make this movie. Someone is going to portray you. I believe I would have enjoyed playing that role very much."

Ben sighed as he knew the man was right about the studios. He'd done his research, and while he was a private citizen, he'd been involved in publicly reported events for which he could expect no privacy. Events the public was intensely curious about. He looked up at the big man.

"I'm sorry I can't be more supportive. I truly want nothing to do with turning my very private life into some public spectacle. I know there've been moments where I was very much in the public eye, but some of them were exceptionally painful for me. I don't need to relive those moments. They're always with me." He saw the disappointment on the actor's face. "For what it's worth, there's a waitress in Melbourne, Australia who mistook me for you, so I get there's some physical similarity between us. I mean, aside from your tattoos and my scars. I don't know you, but you seem to present yourself very positively as an outgoing, confident, and dynamic personality. I'm an Engineering nerd. Shy, quiet, and a homebody. The only reason I'm here is that I promised these ladies a visit... and I truly enjoy being in their company."

Dwayne looked down the table and fixed his eyes on the Sergeant. She blinked at the intensity of his look. "I'm just his personal security detail," she blurted awkwardly.

The actor's eyebrows rose in surprise, and he looked back to Ben for confirmation.

Ben sighed. "She's also my admin assistant and liaison for the work I do with the US Military and other government offices."

"Damn, your life doesn't sound as dull as you make it out to be," Phil said with a grin.

"I know, right?" Trish chimed in with a grin of her own.

"Trish!" Ben said, giving her a stern look but he couldn't diminish her delight.

Dwayne sighed. "More and more I'm intrigued by the role."

"Listen, I'm not saying you shouldn't do it. I'm just saying I'm not going to get involved or sanction a movie about me in any way. Nor will I watch it," Ben said reluctantly. "My lawyer will, and if the result is libelous, I'll sue the studio." He turned his eyes to Steven, and the man's smile dimmed.

"Well, I'm glad I got to meet you," Dwayne held out a hand and Ben shook it. Catherine used her cell to take a picture of them shaking hands as Steven took one from the other side.

When their visitors left, Phil looked at Ben with a raised eyebrow. "Someone is making a movie about you? I wonder if it's just going to be about the stuff we've seen on the news."

Ben shrugged. "I want to believe that's all they have." He looked to Trish.

She shook her head. "None of us would ever spill your naughty secrets." Ben gave her an exasperated look.

"They'll probably give the movie a huge budget," Eric said. "They could make an action film based on the rescue of those kids from the slavers."

"Do you ever wonder how they're doing now?" Phil asked with a small smile.

Ben grinned. "The two I adopted, Karen and Penny, are doing well in school. I think Karen's looking into continuing her education into the Culinary Arts when she graduates, but Penny hasn't decided yet. The Russian twins are happy and growing up quickly too. Mika and Rosa are taking gymnastics and are the top students in their classes. I don't know what happened to the French girl."

"I didn't know you adopted two girls!" Eric exclaimed.

Ben nodded. "They were twenty-four and had been in the custody of the slavers from a young age. They missed out on so much and had no link to their previous lives. No identities. Adopting them gave them something to build upon. I got them enrolled in school and bought a neighbor's house to renovate it into a home for them.

Phil was looking at him with his mouth open in surprise. Finally, he found his voice. "You went above and beyond for these girls."

Ben frowned and shook his head. "I did what I could because I could." His frown slipped away as he recalled Gabriella's words. "A beautiful woman, currently back home, once told me I couldn't save everyone. She was right. I spread myself too thin, and I have to turn a blind eye on some situations I come across. I couldn't do that with Karen and Penny. They'd lost too much and were unable to cope on their own when I found them. Taking them in worked out."

"Ben is an excellent father!" Tina said with a proud smile which Lucy mirrored.

Eric glanced to them and looked at Ben questioningly.

The food began arriving sparing Ben from having to answer. Catherine leapt in to steer the conversation to the similarity between arranging funding for a movie project and fundraising for a charity, aside from the tax breaks charities get. She was very interested in hearing about the kids that found a way to make it. She related a story of some inner-city kids that set up a counseling and tutoring service which her charity was partially funding and how it helped some kids break free from the cycle of poverty.

"That meshes beautifully with what we're trying to convey in our project," Phil said. "If we get a backer for the movie, do you think they'd be willing to have their story included?"

"I'm sure they would!" Catherine said with a grin.

Ben perked up. "If you're unable to find a studio to back your project let me know and I'll see what I can do," he said to Phil.

Phil sent a careful look across the table to Eric before smiling at Ben. "I thought you said you were a Mechanical Engineer. Just how lucrative is that field?"

"I do ok. I don't know what kind of investment you are seeking. I know nothing about the movie industry. I've heard movie budgets can range from less than a million to tens of millions. Independent movies cost less; don't they?" Ben asked.

Phil and Eric traded looks and nodded. "We're looking at something a little larger than an indie film but not the budget a studio would give for a movie about you," Eric answered.

Ben shook his head as he stared at Eric as he still had no idea of the cost.

Phil saw his bewilderment and hit him with the numbers. "Eight to ten. Million."

"Oh!" Ben said.

Phil nodded and shrugged as he smiled at Ben.

"I can probably swing that."

Phil's smile dropped away in shock. He found his voice again. "You- you understand this movie isn't likely to have a large box office draw? The return on your investment may not recuperate your costs."

Eric snorted. "Don't sugar coat it, Phil. The movie will likely lose money, but it's a story that needs telling. These kids are an inspiration for others in their circumstances."

Ben nodded. "That's the thing that caught my attention. I think their stories need telling as well." He looked into Catherine's eyes and saw her love for him there. She knew his story followed the same path these kids were taking, but she kept that fact to herself, respecting his wishes. "I'll talk with my finance guy, and you can send me the proposal." He took out his cell and displayed his home address and number for Phil who added it to his address book. Ben took Phil's details as well.

The actor grinned across the table at his partner. "I certainly wasn't expecting dinner to turn out like this! Not after the shit day, we've had!" He quickly glanced at Tina contritely. "Oh! Please excuse the profanity."

She grinned at him. "It's ok. While it's not often, we have shit days too."

The table burst into chuckles hearing the profanity from Tina's mouth.

They settled in to enjoy their meals. The conversation centered on the movie they were planning and Ben felt more and more at ease with the idea of backing it. While he wasn't comfortable sharing his own story, these kids would be an inspiration for others.

They had a few more people drop by the table to greet Phil and fish for an introduction to Ben. After the third one, Phil spoke to Ben to apologize. "Normally I get a nod or a wave. These interruptions are nuts! How should I be introducing you? As an investor?"

Ben shook his head with a smile. "Just say friend. No need to link my name to the project. I'd be a silent partner."

"Somehow, I thought you might say that," Eric said with a smile.

They finished dinner with only a few more visits and made their way outside. Flashes exploded the moment they exited. The paparazzi were waiting for them as word had gotten out.

A shuttle bus from the hotel swooped in and, with a final wave to Phil and Eric, Tina got their group loaded onto the bus.

"Who ordered this?" Ben asked with a smile and Tina wiggled her cell at him. He kissed her on the forehead for her quick thinking.

The shuttle made a quick circuit of the neighborhood and dropped them off at the front door of the hotel.

Tina and Lucy joined Ben in his room for night one. They were content to cuddle, and that suited Ben just fine.

As he relaxed with the two soft women breathing gently against his chest, the activities of the evening scrolled through his mind. Phil's words, about how this town wasn't the place to come searching for anonymity, returned to him. From the burst of flashes the moment they left the restaurant, Ben knew the city was aware he was here. Tomorrow he'd be following the ladies up and down Rodeo Drive, and he hoped they'd manage it without being chased all day.

Chapter 10

Ben and Evelyn returned to the sidewalk café in front of the hotel after dropping off everyone's shopping bags in the appropriate rooms. It had been a long but highly successful day of shopping, and everyone was feeling very pleased. As they approached the tables, Ben was surprised to see Trish giving a hug and air kisses to a tall and slim, mocha skinned beauty. Ben immediately recognized the big man standing behind her as Killah D, and the woman at his side, Brooklyn. With a happy smile on his face, he shook hands and bumped chests with the rap artist and gave the man's girlfriend a warm hug as well. The beauty with Trish was La'Shia and Ben hugged her too. Then he did the introductions for the rest of his group as he discovered the artists had just arrived. Lisa, Lori, Lucy, and Tina were all dazzled by La'Shia, and she looked very pleased.

"What an amazing coincidence!" Ben gushed then caught the look in La'Shia's eye. "Oh, not a coincidence?"

The beauty laughed gently. "Actually, no. We heard through the grapevine that you were in town rubbing elbows with celebrities. It's all over the entertainment news channels. The story even mentioned where you were staying." She gestured over her shoulder, indicating the paparazzi on the opposite sidewalk snapping shots of them with long lenses. Ben had been ignoring them as he'd done all day.

"We came by because we're having a party tonight at the house we're renting up in the hills and wanted to invite you- all of you," she added as she looked to the excited faces. Ben realized his group was on board with the plan, so he nodded. "Sounds like fun!"

La'Shia gave Ben the address, and he added it to his cell. "We'll see you around 9 PM?"

"Sure!"

The singer moved a little closer to Ben and looked up into his eyes. "The last time we met wasn't the best of circumstances, but it's good to see you're feeling better now."

Ben gave her an appreciative nod.

"Would it be possible for you to show Brooklyn and I some of those dance moves of yours tonight?" she asked quietly and bit her lip nervously.

Not a coincidence at all then. They wanted something from him. He recalled telling La'Shia she should have just asked him instead of falling victim to that barracuda of a reporter. Well, here she was, asking.

"Yes, sure." La'Shia's face lit up with her excitement, and Brooklyn's expression picked that up as well, so he knew the choreographer was in on the request too. Killah gave Ben a questioning look, but he just shrugged.

Catherine was close enough to have heard the singer's quiet request and gave Ben a look of concern. She'd spoken about what happened at her wedding with Gabriella and was aware of how recalling Margaret Cosburn affected him. He lifted her hand and kissed it. "It's ok," he said to her quietly.

La'Shia waved to the group as she moved away. "See you tonight!" Killah and Brooklyn waved as well before getting back into the limo idling in the hotel's loading spot.

Ben sat in the chair Catherine saved for him, and the Sergeant took another which allowed her to keep an eye on the street.

They enjoyed a drink as they relaxed and watched the people walk by. The ladies talked about what they'd found on their hunt for fashion today.

Ben caught Lisa and Lori smiling at him as they admired the beautiful gold and enamel bracelets he'd bought for them earlier. Their smiles turned sultry as they recalled that night, Ben was theirs. He caught the look and felt himself begin to stiffen, so he turned his attention to the traffic driving by until he calmed.

They had reservations at the restaurant in the hotel, so they enjoyed another exquisitely prepared meal, without visiting celebrities, before heading up to their rooms to prepare for the party.

Ben chose pants that had some stretch to the fabric as he'd be dancing later. His deep blue silk shirt flowed as well. He sadly smiled as he remembered how much Margaret loved wearing silk when she danced. He pushed those thoughts aside and took some deep breaths.

Tina and Lucy looked gorgeous in the new cocktail dresses they'd found today. Lucy was wearing a pink off the shoulder dress that clung to her body, and Tina's emerald and black lace dress fit her like a second skin. Ben gave them both kisses as they moved their bags into the adjoining room. Lisa and Lori traded places with them as they entered his suite with their luggage.

Ben was once more dazzled by how lovely the twins looked in their matching black cocktail dresses. The fabric was slightly iridescent, like wet snake-skin, and followed the curves of their bodies. Subtle windows cut in the dresses hinted at their cleavage and tight stomach muscles. Both wore black chokers around their smooth necks.

He wondered how they were able to style their long red hair so quickly to tease it up into a cascade of curls that hung down to the tops of their shoulders.

The twins gave him delighted smiles as they saw his enraptured state. They took his hands and pulled him out into the hall to meet the others.

The first person he noticed was the Sergeant. She'd switched to her black fatigues which was an aggressive look for a party. Frankly, she looked badass.

"If I'd known we were going to a party tonight I could have bought you some casual outfits," Ben said.

"I'm on duty. Security duty. Is- am I inappropriately dressed? I only have uniforms-" she stumbled.

"No! It's fine for tonight! You look- perfect!"

Evelyn's face lit up in a broad smile then her cheeks turned deeply red, so Ben looked away to the others entering the hall.

Trish was wearing a tight crop top showing off the subtle cage of muscles on her toned tummy and tight black leather pants which did incredible things with the muscles of her butt. She gave him a grin telling him she caught him checking out her ass. She gave it a little wiggle for him, and he had to look away but not before she saw his smile and snorted gently.

Catherine was a vision in her red off the shoulder cocktail dress with white pumps.

The ladies were very pleased that they'd mesmerized Ben. The Sergeant continued to blush.

The group headed downstairs to speak to the concierge. The man quickly arranged for a stretched limo to take them up the hill to the address La'Shia gave them.

Ben admired the homes and the scenery as they made their way up the hills until they pulled into a driveway which led to a sprawling mansion. Ben paid the driver then exited with the ladies and took a look around the grounds. Well-groomed privacy hedges blocked the view of the home from the street. A gorgeous modern fountain sat in the middle of the circular driveway and caught the light from the last rays of the setting sun.

They could already hear the faint thump of music from the party within the large house. Before they could press the doorbell, the door opened, and Ben saw Tilisha standing there with a delighted smile on her face. One of La'Shia's crew, the dancer was bouncing on her toes excitedly as she grinned at him. The deep scoop neck on her glittering silver top was threatening to display her delightful bosom.

"Ben! You're here!" she squealed happily.

Slightly dazzled by the jiggles she was sending through her cleavage, Ben finally managed a smile and reached out to hug the woman. She purred happily in his embrace, and when he pulled back, Ben went through the introductions for his party.

"La'Shia told me we are going to get to dance with you tonight! She and Brooklyn are also going to film it to study your moves!" the woman gushed.

Ben nodded with a faint smile. So the ladies made plans for his visit. He didn't have any objections to their request for a dance or three, but he wasn't going to push himself for them. As he'd promised Gabriella, if it became too much, he'd walk away.

Tilisha guided them forward towards the back of the house and Ben was impressed with the build of the home. He heard subtle gasps and giggles coming from behind him and glanced back. Lisa, Lori, Lucy, and Tina were all smiles as they looked into the rooms they were passing. Excitement gleamed in their eyes. Ben took another look into the dining room they were walking by and saw the people gathered there. He thought some of the faces looked familiar, but he was no expert on celebrities. He assumed they were in the music business like La'Shia and Killah D.

They arrived at the back of the house in a large entertainment room. It could have been a family room, but it was enormous, and the back wall was open to the patio outside. A DJ was set up in one corner of the room and music was playing for a few guests dancing in a large open area. Other guests were standing or sitting at the edges of the room talking and drinking.

Tilisha led the ladies over to the bar to get a drink as Ben stopped at the entrance. There was a face he recognized standing in a group nearby. Mr. DeMonte! He smiled and nodded to the man who immediately left the group and approached. Ben held out his hand, and they shook. "Phil! Fancy meeting you here! Do you travel in these circles too? Is Eric here?" Ben quickly scanned the room for the man's business partner, but it was too crowded to spot him. He looked back at the actor.

Phil smiled, but Ben could see some tension in the man's body language. "Is something wrong?" Ben asked.

"Hi, Ben. I don't normally attend these parties, but I got a call last night from La'Shia's publicist inviting me. She called shortly after we had dinner together when it hit the news. Eric had to head back to New York." He paused to take a breath. "As proven, news travels insanely fast in this town, so I wanted you to hear it from me first. I was... indiscreet last night when I was speaking to the studio exec who turned us down. He called me shortly after I left the restaurant. Someone called him to tell him who I had dinner with. He said some rude things and I got angry," Phil said uneasily. "I might have mentioned you were considering backing the project."

Ben was truly amazed at how quickly the grapevine functioned here. He waited for the actor to continue, but that seemed to be it. Phil was watching him nervously for a reaction. Ben let him off the hook. "I don't know what that means, but it doesn't seem like a big issue to me. When I said I wanted to be a silent partner, I just meant my name shouldn't appear on the final product or be used in any marketing. I hope you can restrain yourself from blurting my name in anger in the future," he said with a smile and saw the tension drain away. A smile reappeared on the actor's face.

"Should we hug it out?" Ben asked with a grin.

"I'm good!" Phil said holding up his hands as he grinned. "Besides, I'm already getting a crazy number of calls since that report on us dining together. If people heard we hugged, I might have to get a new unlisted number!"

Ben shook his head in wonder. "I don't get it."

Phil leaned in to speak privately with a grin. "They think I have an inside line on the mysterious Ben Shepherd." He glanced back at the group he'd been speaking with and saw a few frowns sent in his direction. "To defuse that, why don't you come to meet some of my colleagues before they lynch me." Ben sighed and nodded, following the actor over to the waiting group who were all trying to appear cool and relaxed. Phil looked over his shoulder at Ben and snorted. "Actors."

-=-

It was getting late in the evening, and some of the crowd was leaving which was ok with Ben because his cheek muscles were getting tired from all the smiling.

He caught a glimpse of the Sergeant as she patrolled the room, watching for threats. He'd seen a few men approach her, likely in an attempt to get to know her but each time she'd quickly scanned them with her eyes and moved on without a word. The effect this had on the men was both amusing and painful to watch. So far none had gotten angry, and he hoped none did, for their sake.

His mind went back to earlier in the evening when the twins rescued him from a dull conversation to guide him out on the dance floor. He'd enjoyed that, especially when Tina and Lucy joined them. Ben got to dance through some songs, enjoying the excitement on their faces until he left the dance floor to get some water, only to be captured by another group eager to talk with him.

After a short time, he managed to slip away from the group and headed over to the far edge of the property to look out over the city below. The view was lovely, and Ben took a few deep breaths of the evening air to center himself.

"Mr. Shepherd?"

Ben considered pretending not to hear, but the accent caught his attention. He turned to look back at the source of the question.

Star of the big screen, song and dance man extraordinaire, and heart throb to millions, Lawrence Manning smiled as he approached Ben and held out a hand to shake. Ben gripped and shook it.

"Hello, Mr. Manning."

"Please, call me Lawrence," he offered with another charming smile.

"If you call me Ben."

Lawrence nodded to him. "Ben, I heard you met with Dwayne Johnson. He's being offered the lead role in a movie about you."

Ben looked the man in the eye and nodded.

"It's being said that you're endorsing him as-"

"No. I spoke with the man. I shook his hand, as I shook yours. That's all," Ben said firmly.

Lawrence gave him an evaluating look then nodded. "Fair enough. All cards on the table, I've been offered the role as well. If they want to make another action hero movie though, I'll bow out."

"Have you seen the script?" Ben asked, anxious to know just how much of his life they were going to expose.

The actor smiled. "Not yet, but even if I had, I couldn't tell you anything about it. Not if I wanted to work in this town again."

Ben nodded as he realized a non-disclosure agreement made sense.

"Haven't the studios spoken with you about it?" Lawrence asked.

Ben shook his head. "No one's approached me about a movie and, if they did, the answer would be not interested."

The Aussie's eyebrows went up; then he leaned closer with a sparkle in his eyes. "What if it was a musical?"

Ben snorted in amusement then the smile slipped away as he realized the actor was serious. Finally, he shook his head and walked away. "Have a good evening, Mr. Manning."

He made his way back inside and went through the gauntlet once more. He fielded a few offers for visits to private tropical islands, guest appearances on TV shows, bit parts in movies, and even one bid for a wild night of passionate sex. He turned down that fellow as quickly and gently as he could.

He'd gotten to dance with Trish and Catherine a few times as well, but mostly they were caught up in conversations with Mr. DeMonte and Killah D's crew or one of the other men in attendance. Maybe they were celebrities. The ladies were certainly smiling a lot.

From La'Shia, he'd only received the briefest of attention. A kiss and a hug shortly after he'd arrived then she was off. Even Brooklyn was keeping her distance. Tilisha became scarce as well. They seemed to be watching for someone, but he couldn't tell who it was.

As the night progressed, Ben began to wonder if he was going to teach them any dance moves. When he was out on the dance floor with one or more of his party, he was letting the beat move him without using the skills he'd learned.

Coming back to the present, he walked to the bar for another bottle of water. He saw Phil DeMonte preparing to leave so he walked over to shake his hand again.

"We're good?" the man asked Ben, with just a hint of anxiety.

"What?" Ben replied in confusion then recalled his concerns from earlier in the evening. He smiled and pulled Phil into a hug and patted his back. When he stepped back, he grinned at the surprised look on the actor's face which quickly became a smile.

"I knew we should have hugged it out earlier. You feel better now, don't you!" Ben said.

Phil looked up at him and had to nod. "Actually, I do." His eyes caught the motion of some of the guests taking videos of them. "Shit." He gave Ben a crooked smile. "I have a couple of meetings with potential backers in New York, but if that doesn't pan out, I'll give you a call?"

"Sounds good! I wish you luck with your contacts in New York. Maybe this stupid attention in the news will do some good this time and make them take your project seriously," Ben replied.

Phil laughed and waved as he headed out. Ben turned back towards the bar.

"Fuck. You don't like the attention?"

Ben stopped to look at the woman who asked the blunt question. She was pretty with light brown skin showing a number of odd tattoos. A fair amount of expensive jewelry was on display as well. Her eyes were glassy, so he guessed she'd had a few drinks.

"No, I don't."

"What the fuck are you doing here then? What the fuck am I doing here?" she grumbled, and he realized she was talking to herself. With a final look of distaste, she turned and stumbled away. A man glided up to her side, and the two walked from the room.

Not long after she was gone, La'Shia was at Ben's elbow at the bar. Brooklyn rushed up to her side.

"They just drove away. They're finally gone," the choreographer sighed in relief.

La'Shia looked at Ben. "I'm so sorry I was acting so cold all night. We couldn't let Arialla see how important you were to us! She couldn't be allowed to see your dance moves. She'd steal them for herself."

"Oh! Why did you invite her to the party then?" Ben asked in surprise.

"I didn't. She crashed it," La'Shia growled as she thought of her nemesis.

"Killah and his crew are ensuring the rest of Arialla's people have left," Brooklyn said. Just then, the big man walked through the entrance way and nodded to his woman.

Ben shook his head in disbelief. This was drama beyond his comprehension. "Are you ready to do it now?" Both ladies grinned excitedly and nodded. "Where are we going to dance?"

La'Shia pointed to the space he'd been dancing on all night. He noticed the crowd had diminished significantly. Perhaps Arialla began the exodus? That and Killah's purge. He spotted the faces of a few celebrities Phil had introduced him to earlier and some remaining music types, so he was going to have an audience. He shrugged that thought away.

The excited singer took his hand and led him onto the floor as she raised her hand. The music faded to silence as a spotlight focused on them.

"If I could have your attention, please! Could everyone move to the outer edges of the dance floor? We have a special treat for everyone," she said with an excited smile.

Killah's crew was moving to the four corners of the big room with high-resolution video cameras on tripods. They weren't taking any chances of missing any of the action this time.

"Can I see the playlist? There are some songs I... won't dance to," Ben asked. She looked at him in surprise then walked him over to the DJ's booth. La'Shia asked to see the playlist, and the man turned his laptop's screen towards Ben who read through the list. As his eyes went down the screen, his mind picked up the titles with little jumps of his heart. He stopped on one as the pressure was too much. He turned his eyes to the DJ. "Please don't play this one," he said pointing to the song. The man looked to La'Shia, and she nodded, so he removed it from the playlist.

"Are you ok?" La'Shia asked Ben as he closed his eyes for a moment. He opened them to look at her and nodded with a slight smile. He gestured for her to return to the center of the floor.

"For the first dance, your partner will be Tilisha, if you don't mind. She danced with you to this song," La'Shia said as she nodded to the lovely woman waiting for Ben.

He nodded and walked out to meet her. When he stood before her, he could see she was trembling slightly.

"Deep breaths," he teased gently.

Her responding smile was huge and lit up her face. The first notes of Lena Horn's Stormy Weather began and Ben took Tilisha's hand in his as his other rested on her hip. A shiver ran down her spine to feel his big hand on her.

Then they were moving, and she had no time to think of anything. She was watching his face, and his eyes had a dreamy quality to them. Once more she naturally flowed with his motions and felt herself becoming light as air in his arms. The dip took her by surprise again, but her heart soared. His hand on her lower back shot tingles throughout her body. She gasped, then she was back on her feet once more, momentarily braced against his large frame. Sparks flew between her intimate places as another gasp was pulled from her, then the dance continued.

They moved slowly, sensuously, swirling and gliding across the floor effortlessly. Then, as the song reached its end, he surprised her by lifting her against his chest, his mouth almost brushing hers as her eyes widened and locked on his, seeing the heat there. Her lips tingled with her need to feel his kiss. Before she could, he spun gracefully to set her back on her feet, stepping back as he bowed over her outstretched hand, his lips poised to caress its back but never quite touching.

The guests burst into enthusiastic clapping and cheering as the spell was broken.

Tilisha gaped at Ben as he seemed to come back to himself. "You- you didn't dance like that at the resort. I mean, you did, but there was much more heat to it this time." She touched her lips unconsciously. They were still tingling even though he hadn't actually kissed her.

He held her eyes with his as he thought about that. He realized it made a certain sense to him. Now, he was more aware of bringing those skills to the front of his mind. Before, he'd just been reliving the moment from the perceptions of a twelve-year-old Ben.

"I'm... different now." It was all he could say.

La'Shia joined them out on the floor, and she was grinning excitedly. "That was beautiful!" She glanced at Tilisha and saw something in her eyes. "What? What's wrong? That looked perfect!"

The dancer glanced at her boss and smiled faintly. After a deep breath to calm herself, she fixed her eyes on La'Shia's. "Yes, it was. Better buckle up, baby. This ride ain't for kiddies anymore."

She prowled off the dance floor, enjoying the deep tingle running through her body.

La'Shia blinked at her dancer then put the odd words out of her mind as it was her turn. She smiled at Ben. Julie London's 'Cry Me a River' began and Ben glided forward to take her hand in his. Then she was pressed against his body, and they were moving. She was once more thrilled to experience their perfect synchronicity. Quicker than last time, she was able to match her motions to his until it felt like Ben was controlling both of their bodies.

They swept across the dance floor dipping and swaying to the sultry voice, and La'Shia began to feel a little faint. Her breath was coming in gasps, yet her steps never faltered. Ben guided her effortlessly and smoothly as they moved together. She bit her lip as she realized she was getting turned on. She never wanted the song to end, but she was becoming desperate for a release. Ben wasn't blatantly grinding himself against her as they danced. It was subtle touches of his hip or thigh to hers, his hands touching her. He dipped her, and for that glorious moment, his pelvis was pressed tightly against hers and bliss flared in her body. Then she was pulled close, her breasts squeezed against his muscular chest, and she felt her nipples stiffen with the tingles coursing through her. He spun her then slowly dipped her again, almost to the floor. The pressure against her pelvis caused her to moan and bite her lip as her eyes fluttered closed. He lifted her, and she felt the hint of his lips close to hers then her eyes opened to see him stepping back from her slowly. She blinked in confusion as the thunderous applause rolled through the room. Her hands were clasped together before her as her arms squeezed her tits. This also hid the visible points of her nipples pressing against the fabric of her slinky dress. Fuck, she was so turned on! SO close too! But the song was over.

Brooklyn joined her on the floor, giggling with glee. "Holy fuck, that was sexy! Kind of old school but hot!"

La'Shia nodded, but she couldn't speak, and Brooklyn finally caught on as she saw the heat on her friend's face. She looked over to Ben. "Did you-"

"NO! Uh, no, he was a perfect gentleman... but there was something in his dancing this time." Her eyes found Tilisha's looking back at her from the side of the room, and they nodded to each other. La'Shia understood now.

"Are we done? Did you get what you needed?" Ben said, his voice a deep rumble as he calmed himself.

La'Shia squeaked as she turned to look at him. Brooklyn gave her friend a closer look then turned to Ben.

"Where did you learn to dance like that? The economy of motion. No wasted movements, yet such elegance, grace, and so much passion... I've never seen anything like it!" Brooklyn exclaimed to Ben.

He looked to the two women, and his smile cracked a little as his heart remembered the loss too sharply. He pushed the pain down and looked into Brooklyn's eyes. He imagined how it might have been if a young dancer from France had been able to live her dream of stardom as La'Shia had. The injustice of Marguerite's anonymity and the brutal extinguishing of her bright promise cut through him. He felt the need to do something to repay the debt he owed the woman.

"Her name was Marguerite Durand. When I met her as a young boy of twelve, her name was Margaret Cosburn. She was my foster mother and the most beautiful woman I'd ever met in my life. It wasn't her looks that captured your eye. It was how she moved. Every step she took, every gesture she made, was an exquisite celebration of motion." He sighed.

"She'd been a young dancer in France, just beginning to spread her wings when the war came. She was forced to flee her country. To get on a ship bound for the states, she married a man she didn't know. Her new husband was a jealous brute who forbid her the one thing that gave her joy. So, she learned to dance with every movement. I'd never seen anything so graceful, yet so sad. One day, when she thought she was alone, I saw her dancing. It took my breath away. She decided to teach me in secret. I was beginning to grow into my current size and was awkward... but not with her. She reached something inside me that was able to match her movements. We danced every day. It was exhausting, yet so exhilarating. She pushed me to learn everything she knew... until one day, I did."

Ben's throat closed up with the pain of his memories. Tears ran down his cheeks, unfelt.

"What happened?" La'Shia asked, and fresh pain ripped through Ben's heart.

"He killed her."

The women gasped.

"Drunk. Jealous. Vicious bastard. He beat her to death with his fists. Just because she wanted to dance," he growled.

Catherine was suddenly at his side and pulled him into a tight hug. "Enough!" she said, head turned to face the two women. Her voice sounded too loud in the now silent room.

Ben hadn't realized he'd had everyone's attention when he'd told them of Mrs. Cosburn.

Catherine led Ben off the floor into the arms of the other women waiting for them.

"I have to get past this," Ben said quietly to Catherine as his muscles trembled with unspent adrenaline. His reactions felt exaggerated and overpowering, like those of a twelve-year-old.

"You don't need to do it here and now. Take your time," Cat replied gently. "Maybe you should speak with Dr. Granger again when you get home," she said, and Tina held his other hand.

He nodded. "I think I'd like to head back to the hotel if it's ok with you. You're welcome to remain at the party-"

His friends loudly set him straight on that. They went where he went.

His emotions were off the rails, so he pulled them in for kisses which they returned with love.

In his emotion-driven confusion, he found himself planting a solid kiss on the surprised lips of the Sergeant who'd approached to find out what was happening. She didn't resist, but her face went bright red when he released her from the hug.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" Ben blurted after he realized what he'd done.

Evelyn couldn't speak, so she just shook her head as she touched her lips which tingled madly. Her eyes were locked on Ben's lips as he'd taken her first kiss! Her body felt so hot, yet she was shivering!

"Are you ok?" Ben asked gently, and she nodded rapidly. "We're, uh, going back to the hotel now."

Tina was on her cell ordering the stretched limo as he spoke.

Lawrence Manning approached Ben once more, this time with a determined expression. "Sorry to interrupt but after what I just witnessed, I'm convinced we should insist the studio makes your movie a musical. I would love for you to teach me how to move as Madam Durand taught you! That was truly inspiring!"

Ben scowled. "It's not my movie! I don't want to be involved in any way! I'm also not a dance instructor."

"Told you," Ron Leopold said as he walked up to their group. Another of Hollywood's hottest and sexiest leading men and a friend of Lawrence, he turned to face Ben. "I'd still like to offer you a role in my next movie. You could play someone whose super power is..." He looked deeply into the Sergeant's eyes, his voice deep and sexy. "...he loves too much!"

Her face threatening to burst into flames, Evelyn stiffly marched away towards the front door.

Ben looked at the actors in frustration then moved to follow the Sergeant. The ladies went too, glancing back at Lawrence's unhappy frown and waving to Ron who grinned and waved back.

La'Shia and Brooklyn rushed to meet them at the front door. "I'm sorry, Ben! I had no idea!"

He turned to the singer and her choreographer and sighed. "I know. It's ok. The memories of... that night, of all of it, were buried deep in my mind for so long. Decades. When they finally came out, it felt like it just happened. The pain hasn't had time to dull. Again, not your fault. Thank you for inviting us to the party. We had a lovely time."

La'Shia kissed him on the cheek as did Brooklyn. Their eyes still looked sad.

Ben shook Killah's hand when the rapper came to see him off.

"It was good to see you again, Ben. Don't be a stranger," the big man said to him.

"It was great seeing you too. Same goes for you. If you ever want to escape from under the microscope and get a little peace and quiet, you're welcome to visit us," Ben responded.

The rapper laughed and patted him on the back as they stepped outside. The limo was waiting, so they piled in and, with a final wave, headed back to the hotel.

When they got back, they went up to the rooms and ensured the proper distribution of their purchases. Ben gave everyone kisses good night, except the Sergeant who beat a hasty retreat to her room. He shared a look with Trish as she followed Evelyn.

Lisa and Lori took his hands when they closed the door to their room.

"If you'd rather have Catherine with you tonight, we'd understand," Lori said.

Ben froze and looked into their eyes. Both were hiding their nervous expressions. This wasn't good! His earlier sadness and melancholy was wiped away by a wave of distress. "Where did this come from?"

Lisa squirmed. "Catherine was the first one to recognize you were having an emotional reaction to the dancing. She came to your aid first."

Ben stepped closer to them and wrapped his arms around them pulling them tight to his chest. They rubbed their faces against him. He knew what he had to do to restore their confidence.

"I love Catherine. I love you. I recently told this to Tina and Lucy, and I'm telling you as well. You're mine, but I'm yours too. Let's get ready for bed."

He released them after giving them each a kiss, and they went to their bags to collect their sleepwear. Ben undressed and folded his clothes as he went. He left his black silk boxers on as they would suffice for sleeping. The twins had disappeared into the bathroom to dress and brush their teeth but returned shortly in sexy white satin baby doll nighties. They purred when they saw Ben's choice of sleepwear.

Ben approached them and ran his hands over the smooth fabric as he smiled approvingly. He stepped into the bathroom to brush his teeth; then he joined them in the bedroom. The ladies were sitting on the bed, and he noticed they'd added collars to their outfits. They were white leather straps with silver metal loops on their front. He wondered if his claiming them as he had anything to do with this. They were smiling at him as they'd noticed his attention on their necks. He prowled closer, and he saw them tremble with excitement. He stood before them and admired their beauty for a moment.

Then he reached out to grip the loop on Lisa's collar. She made an involuntary happy squeak and looked up at him in amused embarrassment. Ben pulled, and she moved to follow, but he tugged down, so she had to move to her knees before him. He released her collar and stood tall before her.

"Pull them down."

Lisa's eyes flicked up to his then back down to his underwear. She slipped her fingers under the waistband and tugged them down to his ankles. His adolescent-minded cock was already waking for a little fun.

Lisa's eyes locked on the movements of his heavy cock.

"Take me in your mouth."

She immediately moved forward to begin licking the length of him. Ben rumbled his approval, and she slid the head of his cock between her lips and into her mouth.

"Ahhh, yes. That feels good, Lisa. More."

She was already beginning to pant with her excitement as she forced more and more of his cock into her hot wet mouth.

Ben looked to Lori who was fidgeting on the bed. She looked at him eagerly.

"Come here."

She was immediately off the bed and kneeling next to her sister.

"No, up here," Ben directed.

She looked up in surprise then stood. He immediately took hold of the ring on her collar with his left hand and pulled her in close for a kiss. She softly moaned as he caressed her lips with his. When his right hand slid down her back, she sucked in a sharp breath. His fingers slipped under her panties and continued down to discover the jeweled top of the butt plug she was wearing.

Lori's eyes watched him for his reaction, and he smiled as he gently pressed on the toy.

"Oooo fuck!" she moaned gently.

Ben's lust was surging as Lisa struggled to get more and more of him inside her throat. He took a grip on her hair and began to fuck her mouth slowly. She clung to his ass and pulled with every stroke into her mouth.

Lori was trying to drive her tongue deep into Ben's throat as his fingers dipped into her pussy while he rocked the toy in her ass. Her body was trembling as she approached her release.

Lisa suddenly surged forward, and Ben's cock slipped past her mouth and pushed deep into her throat. She made an odd squeal sound around the obstruction but her nose pressed against Ben's stomach.

He pulled back from kissing Lori, and they both looked down to see Lisa choking on his cock. Lisa's hand was rubbing her clit in frantic circled as she came.

Ben pulled himself completely clear of the woman's mouth. She gasped in a deep breath as if starving for oxygen then wailed through the final surges of her orgasm. Lisa continued to cling to his ass, leaning her cheek against his hip as she came down from her high. When she finished, Ben eased his fingers from her sister's wet depths and sucked them clean as he stared into Lori's eyes. She moaned softly.

"Lie down on the bed. Remove your panties," Ben said to Lori, and she moved.

Ben lifted the spent sister and carried her to the bed, gently setting her down before slipping her panties off as well. Lisa's eyes opened as she gazed down at him. When his mouth fastened onto her pussy, she cried out as her last orgasm had just waned and she was still sensitive. Thick fingers drove into her pussy, and her cries went silent as new bliss crashed through her mind. Ben gave her no mercy as he teased her ass with the toy filling it, finger fucked her quivering pussy, and thrashed her outer lips and clit with his tongue.

"FFFFUUUUCCCKKKK!! Lisa finally screamed as her muscles locked up. When Ben eased back, she flopped to the bed, eyes closed as she panted, her muscles trembling in the afterglow.

Lori watched her sister's return to Earth with wide eyes. She heard a noise and saw Ben returning from the washroom. She hadn't realized he'd left. Her eyes dropped to the heavy cock bobbing between his legs, and she knew that was for her. She softly gasped as he crawled up the bed to position himself over her body. She eased herself back down onto the mattress, and he lowered his face to kiss her tenderly. She was surprised there was no taste of her sister on his lips. He'd taken a moment to freshen up for her! Her passion for the big man swelled in her chest, and she eagerly pressed her lips to his.

She felt his hard cock begin to press down on her pussy and she gasped into his kiss. Rocking his hips, he slowly ground himself up and down against her, transferring her slick wetness to his cock, stoking her fires. It felt too good! It was such a tease! She tried to move her hips to bring the head of his cock down to her hot opening, but he slipped away each time.

"Fuh! Please! Please, Ben! I need it. Put it in," Lori begged.

On the next stroke, Ben pulled back the extra inch and the thick head slipped down to press against her lower lips.

"AH! Ah! Oh! So hot!" she sighed. Then her jaw dropped open as she felt Ben slowly forcing her open in tiny strokes. Her brows dropped as she concentrated on the sensation. She was having a little difficulty getting him inside this time. Was he thicker? Her eyes shot to his.

"Sorry, just a little over-excited tonight," he said softly. "We don't have to-"

"Yes! Yes, we do!" she insisted as she wrapped her arms and legs around him. This position allowed him a little more room for his hips, so he began a little rolling motion that stirred her insides with his cock. "Oh fuck yes!" she squeaked, drawing a smile from Ben.

It took some time for Ben to give her his entire length.

Lori was clutching at him and biting her lip as sparks shot through her abused flesh. She felt so incredibly full, yet she needed more of him. She was desperate for it! When he finally came to rest on her, he continued to rock his pelvis but now the motion was directly teasing her clit, and her jaw dropped as she cried out.

"Oh fuck! Oh yes! Like that! Fuck! So- Oh fuck! I- I'm close!"

Ben looked at her in surprise. She was close? For all his over-excitement, he still had a ways to go. He smiled at the look of bliss on the beauty's face. So be it. He continued the rolling motions and listened to how her breath was catching on each roll. He increased his speed slightly on each rotation, and this did the trick for her.

"Omigod! It's here! I'm- Fuck! CUMMMINNGGGG!" she cried as her muscles went into quakes.

Ben pressed her down against the mattress, and she hissed in a breath as the pleasure peaked. When he sensed her trembling was slowing he eased the pressure until he was able to slip his hard cock from her body.

Lori was spent and mumbled something incoherent as her eyes closed.

"You're still hard?"

Ben glanced over to Lisa who was watching his cock bounce with his pulse.

"It's ok; it will go away."

"NO! I mean, I want it inside me. I need to feel it," she said breathily.

Glancing once more at Lori's peaceful expression, he saw she was out for the night.

Ben eased himself across the bed and Lisa smiled up at him. He leaned down and kissed her, tasting her tongue in his mouth. She was pretty excited.

When he pressed his cock against her pussy, she moaned and rocked under him. He picked up that motion and soon they were rubbing each other almost feverishly.

"Please! Put it in!" Lisa begged.

Ben eased back, and Lisa reached between them to guide him to her opening. He sighed at the feel of soft lips caressing the head of this cock. Then he pushed forward, and she grunted.

"Fuck! You're thick!" she exclaimed.

He froze. "Too much?"

She shook her head. "Give it to me. You know what I need."

Ben smiled with a nod. He pushed forward and Lisa's mouth opened in an O of surprise. He pulled back and slammed forward again and again until he was all the way in. Then, with a final glance at Lisa who nodded to him, he began to pound his cock into her faster and faster. She clung to him with all her strength, a constant stream of whispers coming from her lips.

"Fuckmefuckmehammerme! Ohfuckthat'ssogood! Yesyesyes- fuckmefuckmefuuuuckkkmmmeee!"

He was getting close quickly, and her chanting was fanning those flames.

She was bouncing on the mattress under every thrust and hit her release just moments before Ben's exploded within her. He gasped as his body fired stream after stream of heat into the panting redhead's depths.

"Mmmm, that feels good!" Lisa purred, closing her eyes and basking in her pleasure.

Ben eased himself off and settled onto the mattress between the sisters. They cuddled in, and he kissed them both.

He saw their faces no longer held any of the nervousness they'd shown earlier and he was grateful for that. Those emotions might have led to something far worse.

Jealousy.

Chapter 11

The twins were moving a little slow and seemed dreamily distracted at breakfast. Trish took the opportunity to tease them unmercifully until Ben asked her to stop.

The Sergeant was quiet but took this in with wide eyes. She kept glancing at Ben in confusion until he decided enough was enough. He stood and walked to her chair.

"May I speak with you in private for a moment?" he asked her quietly.

"Yes, sir," she responded automatically.

Ben sighed internally. "You don't need to call me sir. Ben is fine."

She gave him a nervous glance, so he led them a few tables away from the other diners.

"Serg- May I call you Evelyn?" he asked quietly.

She nodded.

"Evelyn, you seem to have become uncomfortable around me. Especially when I'm affectionate with the women in my life. Maybe you have questions-"

"How many?" she immediately blurted.

Ben blinked at her in surprise. "Oh, uh, well there's," He paused to think about it for a moment. "...eight women I consider myself currently in a relationship with. A few others have... expressed an interest in occasionally sharing my bed. I typically turn down such offers as I have a difficult time with casual encounters. I get emotionally involved too easily."

Her hand went immediately to her mouth. "You kissed me last night!" she squeaked.

He smiled and gestured for her to be calm. "That was just a mistake brought on by my being a little overwhelmed emotionally."

"Oh," she said with a subdued tone.

Ben looked closer at her. "Did you think-"

"NO! I didn't! Me? That's silly! I'm your security detail and your admin assistant! Anything more would put the first two at risk!" she asserted forcefully.

"Ah! Ok, good," Ben said, relieved for once. "So you understand that I may show physical displays of affection to these women and why?"

"Yes, but-" she looked uncomfortable once more.

"But?"

"How? How are you able to manage multiple, intimate interpersonal relationships successfully? I haven't been able to manage one!" Her face flashed to red, and her eyes went wide in embarrassment once the words were out.

Ben couldn't prevent a smile from reaching his lips. "The truth? It's them. It's the amazing women with whom I've fallen in love. They know I love them. Completely. If they weren't secure enough to accept that and discard all notions of jealousy, then it would all come crashing down. So the success is entirely on them." His smile slipped a little as his gaze focused on nothing. "There are times, like now, when it hits me how unworthy I am to have so much love in my life. I can only do my best to let them know how grateful I am." He gave himself a little shake then flashed a weak smile at the Sergeant as he realized he'd overshared. "Does that answer your question?"

She nodded.

"Again, my apologies for the uninvited kiss last night. I'll try to keep a tighter rein on my emotions in the future," he said contritely.

"It's ok," she said quietly.

She didn't seem happy, but Ben didn't know how to address that. With a nod, he headed back to his seat but only managed a few steps when his cell rang. He glanced at the screen and saw it was his lawyer. "Good morning Walter! What's up? How's Daphne?"

The man chuckled at the last question as Ben was their matchmaker. "Good morning to you. Daphne is completely delightful. We're going to a comedy club tonight."

"Great to hear!" Ben said with a satisfied smile. He wanted to see both of his friends happy, and they were such a good match.

"As for why I'm calling, I received a call from the manager of the shipping container storage facility demanding you come to the site as soon as possible as the authorities want the container you had shipped from Australia opened in your presence. The DEA and the FBI intend to have agents on site for the opening. The late Mr. Hahn is attracting a lot of attention."

Ben scowled as he didn't need this kind of attention. He knew it was likely fallout from his visit to Russia. He sighed as he rubbed a hand over his face. Concerned eyes at his table turned in his direction. "Where is the facility?"

"In San Francisco. I'll send you the address," Walter suggested.

"That's not too far away, I suppose," Ben grumbled. More concerned looks from Tina.

"Can you go today?" Walter asked.

Ben looked to the table and saw everyone was looking back at him now. The plan was to do more shopping today, but he supposed he could slip away to do this. He sighed. "Yeah. I need to arrange a flight there and back. Our jet won't be back to LA to pick us up until tomorrow. I'll do that and call you back with the itinerary."

"That's great! I'll wait for your call," Walter said with a smile in his voice.

"Enjoy the club tonight and give Daphne a hug for me!" Ben said.

"Will do! Bye, Ben."

"Bye, Walter."

He finished walking to the table and let himself drop into his chair.

"What did Mr. Greyson want?" Tina asked anxiously.

"Just another nuisance courtesy of Rainor Hahn. The shipping container of all his stuff from the condo in Australia is in a storage yard near San Francisco. The authorities want it open as they believe it contains contraband. It very well might. I wasn't there when it was packed up and shipped here. We now know he was a criminal, involved with some of the worst people."

"His dirty shit isn't going to stick to you, is it!" Trish asked in concern.

Ben grimaced at her choice of words. "No, I have an alibi for the time this stuff was packed and shipped," he said shaking his head. I'm going to arrange a quick flight there and back, but it looks like you guys are on your own today. I'll be back this evening." He looked to Tina and Lori. "You still have the bank cards, yes?" They nodded. "That should cover any purchases you make. Keep any other receipts, and I'll settle up when we get home. Sorry to do this but Walter indicated it was important and I'm close enough."

"Who's going with you?" Tina asked.

"I am," Evelyn said immediately.

Ben smiled and nodded. "Evelyn will." She smiled.

They finished having breakfast as Ben made a few calls. The jet service had no planes in the region, but he arranged a charter for Ben. He called Walter and let him know when he expected to be there.

Then he wished the ladies luck, gave them kisses, and hopped into a taxi with the Sergeant to head off to the airport.

Ben found the charter jet service and they were ushered on board quickly as they had to meet their departure window. Ben looked around and realized how much more luxurious Sky Shepherd was. He wondered if Dennis had purposefully selected this charter company as it made his fleet look so much better. He smirked to himself. He wouldn't put it past the man.

The flight was short, and the pilot was aware that they were to wait on Ben for the return flight to LA. He and Evelyn grabbed a taxi and gave the address of the shipping company. They settled back and watched the scenery.

"Have you been to San Francisco before?" he asked Evelyn.

"No, sir- Ben," she said correcting herself at his raised eyebrow.

"Me neither. Looks like an interesting place. Maybe next time, I'll arrange to stay a few days."

She nodded and looked out the window.

The drive only took twenty-five minutes to get them to Oakland. The driver left them at the front door of the low rise building with the company logo above the door.

They went inside, and he spoke to the receptionist, gave his name, and the woman asked them to take a seat.

Forty minutes later a heavyset bearded man in a wrinkled suit with a clipboard in his hand walked into the waiting area. Ben looked up from his cell when he heard the man call out his name.

"That's me," Ben replied as he walked towards the man, the Sergeant following. Ben saw a name tag on the man's jacket. It said Mike.

The shorter man looked up at Ben then glanced to the soldier at his elbow. "I need to see some ID," he mumbled, so Ben showed him his driver's license.

Nodding, Mike gave it back then handed Ben a pen. "I need you to sign here as permission to open the container."

Ben signed the form and handed the pen back. The man used it to tap his name tag. "Name's Mike. Please follow me."

They went through a door next to the receptionist then down a long hallway to a back door, stepping outside. There was a large white storage container a short distance away with a group of people waiting by the doors at its far end. Ben's eyebrows went up as he counted at least a dozen. He knew the DEA, and the FBI would be on site, but he'd only expected one representative of each.

When they approached the group, three people stepped forward and glanced at each other; two women and a man. Only one of the women was smiling, which made everyone else uncomfortable.

A slim woman, blond hair in a blunt cut that reached her jawline, standing maybe 5' 9", and wearing a dark blue suit, lifted her hand first. "Agent Montrose with the FBI." Ben shook the hand.

The male agent had a stocky build but looked like he worked out. He immediately reached out to shake Ben's hand before the other woman could move. "Agent Nelson, DEA."

Finally, the third agent stepped forward and extended her hand. She was probably 5' 7", attractive with sharp features, and dressed impeccably in a tailored wine-colored suit and white silk blouse. Her smile never faltered throughout the display of jurisdictional dick measuring. "Agent Stephanie Russo, CIA."

Ben's brows rose in surprise. "CIA?"

Her smile widened as the other two agents scowled. "Yes. The press got pretty excited when you showed up in Los Angeles, so we expected these agencies to make a play for the late Mr. Hahn's items in the shipping container. And they did-"

"Why are you here?" Agent Montrose interrupted.

She turned her smile towards the other woman. "In good time. I'm speaking to Mr. Shepherd now." She looked to Ben once more ignoring the angry snort from the FBI agent.

"Did you pack the shipping container behind us?" she asked Ben.

He shook his head. "No, that was arranged by Margaret Dawson, a lawyer in Sydney, months after I left. She also arranged the sale of the condo for me," he explained.

"Do you know what's in the container?" she asked.

Ben looked at it then back to the woman. "I expect the contents of the condo. I wasn't paying too much attention to the décor as Rainor had just died and Gretchen was in a precarious emotional state." He looked closer at the agent. "What are these questions for?"

"One final question I promise, then I'll explain myself," she said, and he nodded cautiously.

"When did you become aware that you were the sole heir to Gretchen Hahn's estate and she'd signed everything Rainor Hahn owned over to you?" Agent Russo asked.

Ben frowned as a shot of pain went through him. "After. After she was... After she died."

"My condolences," the woman said sympathetically. She turned to the two other agents and handed Montrose an envelope. "I have a writ from the Supreme Court which protects Mr. Ben Shepherd from criminal prosecution based on items or information found within the effects of the late Rainor Hahn. Additionally, any items inherited by Mr. Shepherd will remain his property except for any illegal drugs or weapons which will be confiscated by the appropriate government bureau. So, aside from those two exceptions, everything inside this container belongs to Mr. Shepherd." She handed Ben a second envelope. "This is your copy."

Ben stared at the envelope for a moment then slowly tucked it into his pocket as his mind spun. He was stunned by the implications of this... and damn curious why the CIA would have done it. Maybe cautious was a better word to describe how he was feeling at the moment.

"Can we get on with opening the container? I have other things to do today," Mike grumbled.

Agent's Montrose and Nelson were casting suspicious looks at Ben as they read the writ. "Are you ready?" Russo asked. They nodded and walked off with Mike to break the seal on the container.

"Why is the CIA doing this for me?" Ben asked Russo quietly.

She smiled at him. "You recently made some people in Washington very, very happy. The Agency... is returning the favor." Her smile became sultry as she panned her eyes down his body. "Until we meet again, Mr. Shepherd." She walked back towards the building having delivered the writ. There was just a hint of sway in her hips as Ben watched, puzzling over her words. She glanced back, and her sexy smile returned when she saw his eyes were on her.

Ben gave himself a shake and shared a bewildered look with the Sergeant. They moved to the entrance of the shipping container where Mike gave him a frustrated glare before cutting the seal with bolt cutters. He took the broken seal and marched back to the building.

Men from both agencies began removing items from the container as Ben stood next to Agent Montrose and Nelson. Ben noticed two agents were making a video of the items removed.

"Hahn like white leather and chrome," Nelson commented.

Ben snorted, and both agents looked to him. "His Berlin condo was decorated with the same furniture. Cold and impersonal. Like the man." He didn't mention that furniture was destroyed.

"What are you going to do with this stuff?" Montrose asked.

Ben shrugged. "Donate it to charity, I suppose."

Six flat crates were carried out and carefully opened. Inside were oil paintings. They looked like very old, oil paintings.

Agent Montrose looked at Ben. "Our records on Rainor Hahn indicated he might have been trafficking stolen art. These are likely stolen property." Her expression soured. "Now, according to the spooks, they belong to you." The agent walked away to look in the other crates.

Ben wanted nothing to do with the stolen art. More and more Rainor proved he was a truly repugnant human being.

He thought about how he might reverse the evil that man brought to the world. He looked back towards the city as he had an idea. He pulled his cell out and did a little web search for museums in San Francisco. When he found one that sounded promising, he dialed its number. It was picked up on the third ring. He navigated his way through the answering service to a live person.

"Hello, I need to speak to a curator. I want to donate some paintings I've recently inherited to the museum," Ben said with a friendly tone.

The woman's voice on the other end was also friendly and promised to put one on. Two minutes later she returned and apologized for the wait and transferred the call.

"Hello, this is Valerie Desmond, a Senior Curator at the museum. Who am I speaking to?"

"Hi, this is Ben Shepherd. I've recently come into possession of six-" Ben stopped as he saw the agents carrying out six more crates from the container. "Damn. Sorry, twelve paintings. I have reason to believe these are originals and may have been stolen from galleries or private collectors. The man who obtained these died and I inherited his estate. We opened the shipping container and found these paintings."

"Mr. Shepherd, we do not deal with stolen art! We will not purchase them from you!" she asserted.

"I'm not looking to sell them. I don't want them, but they should be handled by someone who knows how to protect them. I know nothing about handling art. If it helps you, I have a writ from the Supreme Court of the United States indicating the property rights of the inheritance is legally mine, regardless of original state."

"How- how did you get the Supreme Court to do- Wait! This is a hoax, isn't it! I should have known when you said your name! Ben Shepherd? Really!"

He sighed. "Do you have a cell phone with video call capabilities?"

She paused her blustering. "I- yes."

"Take this number down and call me back with the video chat app on your cell. You'll be able to see me, and I can show you some of the paintings. How's that?" Ben offered.

She was quiet for a moment as she considered. "Not sure what you're trying here... but all right. Give me the number."

Ben said the digits and goodbye. He hung up and walked over to the row of painting crates. Montrose walked back to speak to him.

"Twelve paintings. That's all of them. Congratulations," the woman scolded.

Ben's cell made a weird warble, and he answered it to see the cautious gaze of an older woman in a dark jacket. Her expression changed immediately to shock.

"It is you!" she gasped.

He smiled and nodded. He turned his body, so the FBI agent appeared in the shot for the woman. "Yes it is, and this is Agent Montrose of the FBI who's with me at the storage container facility. Agent, say hello to Valerie Desmond, Senior Curator at the Legion of Honor Fine Art Museum. I've asked her to take a look at some of these to determine if they are possibly the real deal. I'd like her to accept them as a donation to the museum. They can show them while they try to find the owners. That seems like the right thing to do with this art, doesn't it?"

Agent Montrose looked like she'd swallowed her tongue and Ms. Desmond's expression was a close match.

"Let me show you some of the paintings," Ben said moving to one of the open crates. "Evelyn, can you lift the paintings from the crates so I can show them to this nice lady?"

The Sergeant moved into the picture and carefully lifted one after another so Ben could aim his camera at them.

"That's sufficient!" Valerie called out, so Ben turned the cell back to his face to look at her flushed features. She seemed very excited.

"Did you recognize them?" Ben asked.

"Oh my yes! Are you serious about donating them? They may be worth a sizable fortune!" she breathed.

Ben frowned. "I'm serious. If you want them, they're yours. You'll need to come get them as soon as you can."

"Oh! Now?"

"Do you have a truck at the museum for moving art? I can text you the address. It's in Oakland," Ben explained.

"Oh! Oh! Yes! Uh, let me... I just need to arrange a few things! I can probably be there in an hour, two at most! Thank you, Mr. Shepherd!" the woman exclaimed.

"Ben. I assume you have a receipt form for me to sign over the ownership to your museum," he suggested.

She nodded and beamed a smile at him then gave him her cell number so he could text her the address.

"See you soon, Ben!"

"Thanks, Valerie! See you soon." Once he hung up, he hammered off the text.

He looked up from his cell, and Agent Montrose was watching him with a confused scowl. "She just confirmed they're probably worth a fortune and you're giving them away?"

Ben frowned in frustration at the agent. "Which is it, Agent Montrose? You're disgusted with me for inheriting stolen art, or you're disgusted with me for not profiting from it?"

Agent Nelson was standing nearby and barked a laugh at the FBI Agent's frustration. The DEA agent walked over to Ben. "No drugs or weapons found. No contraband at all. Nothing for us to do here." He looked back at the items they'd removed from the container. "I know a great local charity if you were serious about donating the furniture and contents."

Ben was nodding when excited noises came from inside the container, and an agent rolled a dolly out with a filing cabinet on it. The agent looked to Montrose with a delighted smile. "Ma'am! We've got documents showing Rainor Hahn arranged massive money transfers for Don Solerno!" Montrose rushed over to look at the documents in the filing cabinet.

Ben recalled how thorough Rainor's files were. He kept notes on everything. Liliya had been right when she'd said she hadn't known Rainor well enough to understand him truly. She'd said that he didn't like paper records, but Ben knew differently. When he'd been looking for the man's will the day after Rainor died, he'd gone through a filing cabinet filled with extensive notes on investments and business dealings. If he was doing illegal business with this Don Solerno fellow, Ben didn't doubt every transaction would be carefully annotated.

Rainor had absolute confidence in himself. He knew he was smarter than everyone else. It was inconceivable to him that his files could be used against him. Considering he died before that happened, maybe that confidence was justified. He did manage to con some underworld figures successfully.

Agent Montrose looked at Ben with her mouth open, but no sound came out.

"The files are yours. Take the cabinet too," Ben offered. The agent had the good grace to nod her thanks. "Who's Don Solerno?"

"Head of the East Coast crime syndicate. The Mafia?" Montrose clarified for Ben's curious expression. "To date, he's been untouchable. We got wind of him meeting with the heads of the other East Coast families. It was unprecedented cooperation with large capital transfers from each family to him but what their end goal was for that money was never discovered." She frowned as she looked at the documents. "We need to get these files back to headquarters." She nodded to the agent who'd made the find. "See if there are any other cabinets."

Ben picked up a couple of dining room chairs and set them down next to each other, out of the way of the working Federal agents. He gestured for the Sergeant to sit as well. They sat together and watched the activity.

Evelyn leaned closer to speak. "Why did you have to be here for this?" she said quietly.

Ben smiled at her. "I suppose the storage company might have needed my signature to let them off the hook contractually and the FBI agents might have wanted to press charges against me if they found illegal goods. My new friends in the CIA neatly handled that last reason." His smile diminished. "Not sure how positive that relationship will prove to be. Hopefully, it's just a one-time thing."

The Sergeant nodded as she also had reservations about the benefit of being friends with the spooks.

They sat watching the agents move back and forth as they emptied the container.

A large truck entered the yard behind them, and the agents stopped to see who it was. Ben got the impression that the FBI agents were feeling a little nervous now that they had their hands on what could be decisive evidence against this Mob boss.

Agent Nelson waved to the men and Ben saw Agent Montrose and her team relax. The DEA agent walked over to the truck and had them back it up facing the items removed from the freight container. Then he walked over to Ben.

"Are you sure there isn't anything you want from the container?" he asked.

Ben shook his head. "Just the painting crates. The museum curator will be by for those later today. I want no reminders of Hahn in my home." He stood, and Evelyn did as well. "You can take these chairs too."

"It's ok. We'll get those last. Thanks!" The agent nodded with a smile and went back to direct his men to begin loading the truck. Ben ensured the twelve painting crates were set aside and sat back down.

A second filing cabinet was discovered, but it only contained Rainor's personal finance documents from his non-criminal activities. He'd compartmentalized his life into the two distinct income streams. His personal investments had already been transferred to Ben's accountant, so these documents were just trash. He recalled receiving an envelope from the lawyer in Sidney containing Rainor's unfiled paperwork. There'd been pages for each deed. These were currently in a locked cabinet in Walter Greyson's office, and he'd been given instructions not to mention them until the legal ownership issue had been resolved.

Ben dumped the cabinet's contents into a dumpster behind the building, and Agent Nelson loaded the empty office furniture into the truck.

A second truck drove into the yard, and once more all activity stopped as the agents watched the newcomers drive close. Ben waved to the woman sitting in the passenger seat as he recognized Ms. Desmond. She got out with the driver and joined Ben next to the crates. She looked timidly at the agents.

"They are an intimidating group," she said.

"Good thing they're the good guys then," Ben replied with a smile. "Nice of you to come on such short notice."

The woman's face lit up with a smile of her own. "Shall we take a closer look at this art?"

Ben nodded and went to the first crate. He carefully lifted the painting out so she could see it.

"Oh my! That's lovely." She peered closer and made odd noises as she studied it.

She leaned back, and her eyes were twinkling with excitement. Ben smiled and lowered the painting back into its crate. He went on to the next one. On the seventh, it looked like the woman might faint.

"Are you ok?" he asked cautiously.

She raised a hand to her forehead. "Yes, my apologies. I- I believe this one was originally thought to have been lost to the Nazi's in world war two. A remarkable discovery. It hasn't been seen since then. This one must have been in a private collection."

Ben gave her an impressed look then moved on to the next painting.

When they finished, it looked like the lightest breeze might blow the curator away. "This is beyond generous, Mr. Shepherd."

"Ben, please. And it's just a good idea to have someone who knows how to handle the art properly, take care of it. I trust you're willing to do so?"

She smiled broadly and pulled some paperwork from her purse. "Could I take a picture of that writ you mentioned before?" she added pulling her cell phone out.

Ben extracted the letter and held it up for her to take a picture. He took one with his cell too while he had it out. Then he signed her paperwork, and she gave him one of the forms once she'd signed it. Ben helped carry the crates over to the back of the van and shook the woman's hand once more.

"Thank you so much, Ben! I'm so glad I took your call today!" she gushed.

He grinned back at her. "I'm glad I was able to convince you it wasn't a hoax. If you'd hung up on me, my next call would have been to the Museum of Modern Art."

She gave him a scandalized expression then slapped his arm playfully when she saw his teasing smile. She burst into surprised giggles at her boldness in hitting him.

With another wave, she climbed into the van with her driver, and they drove out of the yard. Ben walked back to the Sergeant who was standing, as the chairs were in the truck. He walked over to the container, and there were only a few items left. It looked like boxes of linens. Agent Montrose walked up to him. "Thank you, Mr. Shepherd, for your assistance today. My apologies for the rocky start."

"It's fine. Good luck with your case against the Mafia boss," Ben returned. "I guess I can go now?"

Montrose nodded as she looked to Agent Nelson who also nodded. "Thank you for the donation of the furniture and household items."

"My pleasure," Ben said with a smile.

"You're the only one walking away empty-handed," the FBI agent said with a grin.

Ben extracted the writ from his pocket. "I have this."

Montrose shook her head in confusion. "Yeah... but you gave away a fortune in art and kept nothing from the container."

Ben just smiled at the two agents as he tucked the envelope back into his pocket and turned to leave. He waved over his shoulder as the Sergeant walked with him. Ben pulled out a cell and ordered a taxi as they made their way to the front of the building.

When they were alone, the Sergeant looked up to Ben. "Captain Kendricks informed me that you inherited a safe deposit box in Berlin as well. Are the contents of that covered by the writ too?"

Ben nodded. "I think so, but I'll get confirmation. According to the wording of the writ, all items included in the inheritance are legally mine. It doesn't specify the geographic location of the inherited items."

"There was a memory stick in the box which led to the issues with the Russian industrialist. Was there anything else in the box of value?"

Ben smiled at Evelyn and nodded. Then his smile slipped a little. "I wonder if the CIA was aware of the contents before they arranged for the writ."

He pondered that while they waited for the taxi. Once it arrived, he called the charter flight pilot to let him know they were on their way back.

He called Walter to let him know how it went. When Walter heard of the writ, he was over the moon excited. On his return from Germany, Ben talked with Walter about his trip and made him aware of the deeds. He told him he still had to determine the legal ownership rights. Now it seemed that question had been answered.

"I'm going to send you an image of the writ once I hang up. I got it as a favor from the CIA, so I need you to confirm just how ironclad it is and the true scope of its coverage. If you determine it is sound, I'm probably going to ask you to sell some of the property. I'll work with you and Jerry to invest that income under a new business entity."

"Ben, if that happens, we'd be moving into real estate, and I'd need to expand my practice to manage this. I have someone in mind. A real wizard I've worked with before. I'd bring him onto the team. Also, Jerry's been talking about the need to expand his operation too," Walter advised.

Ben nodded. He suspected this would probably happen sooner or later, considering how his estate had been growing in recent days. "That's fine with me. If you and Jerry need me to sign anything, I'll be available in a few days."

"Thanks, Ben. Sure can't say working with you is dull!"

Ben chuckled. "We live in interesting times."

Walter laughed at the reference to the subtle curse. They said their goodbyes then hung up.

Ben looked to Evelyn who was staring back at him with wide eyes.

"Properties?" she asked quietly.

"Deeds to extensive plots of prime real estate in seven different countries," Ben said, equally quiet. His mind was forming a plan. He couldn't see all of it yet but it was looking like it might be the most ambitious project he'd ever taken on.

They rode in silence until they reached the airport. The flight wouldn't be for another hour, so they grabbed some food and relaxed. Ben had a few people approach him for autographs which he turned down, but he posed for photos with them. He was grateful when they were finally allowed to board the plane and soon after they were on their way back to LA.

"We should get back to the hotel a little after 7 pm. When we land, I'll see what the others are doing for dinner."

"What are you going to do with the money you're going to make from the property sale?" Evelyn blurted.

He looked closer at the woman. She seemed earnestly curious.

"I'm going to invest it."

"So, you'll make money from the money. But what are you doing with the money?" Evelyn pressed.

He smiled. "For a period of time in my life, not that long ago actually, I was in the situation where I was making money just for the sake of making money — growing the nest egg. Then Gabriella and Catherine came into my life. And Tina. And Trish. People in my neighborhood I could help with those savings. Money without a purpose is a terrible thing. Soon I discovered I was investing in people and making a difference in lives. The money finally had a purpose!" Ben exclaimed.

"I have a... need to help, and sometimes it gets out of control. Gabriella brings me back down to earth. She, of all of the women I love, gives me the firmest foundation in reality. She reminds me that I can't save everyone. I spread myself too thin. Too much until I begin to do myself harm. She protects me, from me." He happily sighed as he thought of the gorgeous brunette.

"With this new income, I'm going to be able to help others on a much broader scale, but I'll need Gabriella and the others more than ever to help keep me centered and focused on the important things. Family, friends, and the little corner of the world I've made my home." He turned his eyes to the window once more.

Evelyn turned her face from him to stare out her window while her thoughts turned inwards.

She was trembling. Her emotions were flaring wildly, and she didn't know what to do. She clasped her hands together to control their shaking.

Before, when the only exposure she had of Ben was her review of his submitted engineering solutions, she'd been in awe of the man's brilliance and the unique way his mind worked.

Moving into the house he built for his adopted girls was eye-opening. He honestly cared for the two young women and had taken on the role of father and guardian for them when they needed it most. Her awareness of the man's compassion grew significantly.

Having joined him on this trip, she'd been confused by his ability to have so many sexual partners, but he treated each of them with respect and love, and it was clear they loved him in return. She still found their relationships confusing but... it worked.

She hadn't truly grasped his financial situation until this trip, but she could see money wasn't important to him. How it was used, was.

Finally, he danced like a dream and his kiss! Just the memory sent tingles down her spine.

He matched her ideal of a mate.

Of course, she looked nothing like the women in his life. They were so lovely, and she was... not.

Worse, he'd be repulsed by how easily she killed. The two previous men she'd selected and approached to discuss beginning a relationship had clearly stated how easily she took a life made her unacceptable. She knew it was a double standard. Men were seen as more if they could do it, but women were seen as less. It was so unfair. It was just part of her job! A tremble ran through her body.

"Are you ok?" he asked her as she was frowning.

"Mmm hmmm."

Ben looked closer. "You're sure?"

"Yes. I think I'll rest my eyes," Evelyn said in a subdued voice and closed her eyes, so she didn't have to see his concern. She didn't want pity. Besides, what she'd said before was true. Becoming emotionally involved with the one she was protecting jeopardized the mission. She'd have to put those ideas and feelings away. She could be a professional.

Ben sat back and watched her for a moment, struggling to grasp the nature of exactly what was wrong. He knew something was, but he had such a difficult time reading her. The Captain said he might. He turned his eyes to the window again and let his mind relax as, without some additional pieces to this puzzle, he wasn't going to be able to solve it. And sometimes you had to let the puzzles solve themselves.

They landed on time, and Ben got them a cab back to the hotel. They shared few words on that journey as the Sergeant seemed to be keeping herself occupied, watching for threats.

Ben sent a text to Tina letting her know they were on the ground and heading to the hotel. She texted back that they had dinner plans for 9 PM, so he had time to get cleaned up when he got back. He was eager to return to his friends as he needed to speak with Catherine about the plan he was formulating.

When the taxi arrived at the front of the hotel, Ben paid then frowned when he saw a group of paparazzo crowding the sidewalk just outside his door, waiting. Before he could open his door, the Sergeant was out her side, slamming the door closed. She rushed around the back of the taxi, charging at the men blocking the sidewalk with her hand resting on her holster. Ben watched in surprise as they jumped back to avoid her. She opened his door, and he stepped out. Glancing at her fierce expression, he understood their apprehension. He ignored the paparazzo and walked into the hotel with the Sergeant following.

"Are you ok, Evelyn?" he gently asked once they reached the lobby.

She glanced at him in surprise. "Yes- I'm fine."

"You just seemed a little angry back there," he continued.

She gave her head a brief shake. "Sorry. I- they're so disrespectful."

Ben nodded but gave her a small smile. "Agreed, but that's their job. Thank you for getting me through them. Please don't give them a reason to press charges against you." He held her eye, and she nodded as a small smile slipped onto her lips as well.

They went up to their floor and walked down the hall to their rooms in quiet. He was sure there was still something on the Sergeant's mind, but he wasn't going to pry. She'd speak if she felt she could.

Their doors were opposite of each other, so they used their keys to open the doors.

"See you at dinner," Ben said and she nodded as she ducked inside. He caught a glimpse of Trish at the far side of the room then the door closed.

Maybe Trish could get to the root of the Sergeant's concerns.

-=-

Evelyn closed the door and leaned her forehead against it as she took some deep breaths.

"The big guy's getting to you?" Trish said gently.

Evelyn squeaked in surprise as she spun to face the redhead sitting in a chair next to the windows.

"Sorry, didn't mean to spook you," Trish apologized.

Heart beating rapidly, the Sergeant raised a hand to indicate it was ok. She looked across at the woman and gave her an evaluating look. Of all of the ladies she'd seen Ben with, Trish was the most like her. She had hard muscles from being diligent with her exercise, and she had a nose-with-character as Uncle Davis called hers. She was certainly no model and preferred physical hobbies involving fitness. Evelyn slowly walked across the room and took the chair across from the redhead and struggled with what she... should say.

Trish smiled. "So he is getting to you." Seeing the woman's hesitance, she smiled softly. "Whatever you say to me will remain confidential. Just between us."

Evelyn eyed her cautiously then nodded. "It's true, but I can't get emotionally involved. It jeopardizes our working relationship. I'm his admin assistant and more importantly, his security detail. Emotional involvement is out of the question."

Trish nodded and looked away for a moment as memories crowded in her mind. A smile slipped across her lips. She tucked it away as it might appear inappropriate with what she was about to say.

"When my husband died with the others from our neighborhood, Ben worked with those of us left behind and showed us how we could and should rely on each other to get past the grief and anger. I thought he was a great guy and I was attracted to him as well, but I was hurting pretty bad from the emotional baggage my husband's cheating left me. I wanted nothing to do with love or any emotional involvement, just pure physical gratification. I had a very physical relationship with my husband, and with that gone I turned to Ben. He wasn't comfortable with a casual fuck, but he knew I needed that kind of connection and kept his emotions to himself." She looked over to the Sergeant and saw wide eyes looking back at her. She chuckled. "Sorry for the overshare. My rambling point is this. I thought I could maintain my emotional distance from Ben, to protect myself. But the more I was around him, the less possible that became. He's a sweet man, very physical too, and completely giving of himself. If you have any emotional capacity in you at all, eventually you'll become attached."

Trish saw the Sergeant was thinking about this and looked upset. "Will that interfere with your admin assistant position, I highly doubt it. Your security detail duties? Are you telling me you wouldn't be able to resist his advances during the times you need to focus on his safety? If so, that would be an indicator you aren't very good at your job." She watched the Sergeant bristle at the comment and smiled.

"I'm not saying Ben is willing and eager to let another woman into his heart. He has quite a number already sharing his time, and I've seen him struggle to accept that fact. He still has trouble from time to time accepting that he's worthy of our love." Evelyn glanced at her sharply, and Trish nodded sadly. "He's dealing with a lot of emotional damage from his childhood." She was silent for a moment as she collected her thoughts.

Evelyn waited patiently until Trish finally spoke again. "I will say this. Ben doesn't need drama in his love life. If you choose to stand by him and you find yourself falling in love, accept the fact that you may need to keep it to yourself. If he shows no signs of reciprocating, you'd only be doing him harm by mooning over him."

The Sergeant sighed. "I don't think it'll be an issue. Ben wouldn't see someone like me as someone he could love. I can accept that fact right now."

Trish leaned back and looked curiously at the woman. "What makes you think that?"

Evelyn shrugged. "Ms. Lee and Ms. Bennett, they're both young and beautiful. The McKellan twins are young and beautiful. Mrs. Wallace, Mrs. McGovern, and yourself, you're all lovely, and I've seen his love for you."

Trish snorted in amusement. "I don't kid myself that my looks match up to any of the others, but Ben loves me deeply. Don't assume Ben's eye is captured by beauty alone."

Evelyn's eyes dipped down briefly to Trish's tits, and the redhead's grin grew wider. "Yeah, he likes my girls, but it's not just a physical attraction for Ben. He fucking likes me. We click, madly!"

The Sergeant's eyes dropped to her hands resting on her lap, and she considered them. When she spoke, her voice was quiet, and she didn't look up. "I asked Ben how he managed so many relationships when I haven't been able to start one! Previously, there's only been two men I found to be acceptable as a potential mate. When I approached them to discuss beginning a relationship, each one expressed extreme distaste at the idea. One was very vulgar in his responses. Both indicated I made them deeply uncomfortable with how easily I killed my targets." She frowned angrily. "But that's not fair. It's my job! It's not like I get a thrill from killing. It's just something I was trained to do, and I want to be the best I can be. Besides, this isn't something you can take lightly. Otherwise, you're the one who ends up dead."

Trish nodded. "Go all in or go home."

The Sergeant's eyes lifted to lock on Trish's with a slow nod.

"You think Ben might share their opinion?" Trish asked softly, and the woman nodded. "I've killed, in self-defense. Cat has as well. Do you see Ben treating us any differently?" Trish asked with a raised eyebrow.

Evelyn's jaw dropped as she stared at the redhead. She shook her head as Ben showed no revulsion or unease around the women.

"Again, I'm not telling you that Ben is ready to accept another relationship. I just wanted to dispel the misconceptions you have about the man. He's made of stronger stuff than the two men you set your sights on. Ben doesn't judge women like that. What's in your heart is what counts."

Trish looked at the time and saw it was getting on. "I'm going to take a quick shower and get dressed for dinner. I'll be out of the bathroom momentarily."

Evelyn nodded gratefully to the woman and let her mind spin around their conversation. Trish had cleared her misconceptions, but now she was left with more questions. Should she ask Ben point blank if he might be interested in a relationship with her? Historically, that approach had miserable results. Alternatively, she could settle with the status quo and see how things developed.

She thought about the current state of things and realized she was in no hurry. She loved her new job, her new living quarters, and being able to interact with Ben in what might be the closest relationship she'd ever had with someone of the opposite sex.

Waiting seemed to be her best option. That didn't mean she was going to give up on the possibility of a relationship should the opportunity present itself.

Simply put, she'd wait and see. Evelyn could be patient.

-=-

As Ben stepped into his room, he saw Catherine was relaxing in the chair by the window with the curtains thrown wide to let in the warm rays of the setting sun spill inside. A broad smile spread across his face.

"Just the beautiful woman I wanted to talk to!" he said.

She stood and rushed over to squeeze herself against his chest in a tight hug. He breathed in the wonderful scent of her shampoo as he enjoyed the warmth of her body. She turned up her face to his, and he kissed her soft lips tenderly until she purred. Once she pulled back, he saw her eyes were twinkling happily.

"How went shopping day number two?" he asked.

Her smile widened. "So much fun! The twins are a scream! Especially teamed up with Trish!"

Ben could easily see how they might be. He grinned. "But were you successful in finding something nice for yourselves?"

"Yes, Ben. We did pick up some lovely clothes. You're spoiling us!" she said, poking him gently in the chest.

He pulled her in for another hug and kissed her temple. "I'm allowed when you're all so deserving. Can we sit for a moment? I want to talk to you about something."

Nodding, she led him over to the couch by the window. They sat, and she looked at him attentively.

"This project Phil DeMonte is working on; it's about telling the story of young people who've found a way to pull themselves out of the cycle of poverty and despair. Self-propelled success stories. I keep thinking about that." He paused to consider his next words. "While it's too soon to go into details, I was wondering if you might be amenable to expanding the scope of your charity."

Catherine blinked in surprise at Ben as his words sank in. "Expanding how?"

He shook his head. "It's still just the seed of an idea, but I was considering setting up a foundation to support these young people — the ones who are honestly striving for a better life. Your organization helps them with their education, and that's key. If they can get the education they need to succeed, they're halfway there. I want to assist with the second half. Healthcare, affordable housing, occupational training, life counseling, financial planning training... whatever it takes to give them a foundation to grow from."

She looked at him with wide eyes. "That's a very ambitious plan. Generating the funds you'd need to get such a foundation off the ground-"

"Initially, I wouldn't be looking at external funding," he insisted.

Catherine stared at Ben. "What?"

"If Walter confirms some information I asked him to look into for me, I'll be able to cover the costs for the start-up myself," Ben explained. He didn't mention to Cat that even if the news from Walter was negative, he intended to set up the foundation. He'd just be doing it at a much smaller scale and local only. This, he would be paying for himself, and he'd have to up his creative output to pay for it.

She felt goosebumps rise over her entire body. "Oh my god, Ben! That's amazing! There's some space in the building I work out of to set up an office for the people we'd need to hire to manage the program." Her mind was already thinking of the people she could contact to assist with this. The hiring pool in the city might be a little lean for the skillsets she was thinking of so they might have to place ads in nearby cities.

Ben smiled at her excitement. "Remember, we still need to get confirmation from Walter. That will likely take a week or so. Right now, it's all blue sky ideas." Catherine nodded rapidly. "One more thing... if I get good news from Walter, I'm going to expand my plan to set up foundation offices in six different countries. We'd be going global."

Catherine's eyes went wide, and she made a choking sound. "Ben! That's going to cost a fortune!"

He nodded. "I expect it will, but if Walter gets confirmation, it's all going to be paid for by a new income stream. It won't come out of my personal savings at all."

"How- what new income? Did you get a new contract with the military?" she gasped.

He grinned. "No, no new contract. Let's wait to hear what Walter says. At the moment, it's just a pipe dream. But just in case this dream looks like it will come true, I'd like you to consider what it might take to make this foundation happen. I'd like you to run it, to be its face. If you're interested."

She froze once more as what he was asking shook her world. "You want me to run a global charity?"

Ben looked at her nervously. "I don't want to pressure you into anything. If you don't want that kind of responsibility that's perfectly fi-"

Cat jumped onto Ben's lap and kissed him deeply, her fingers tangled in his hair.

His hands settled down on her back, and she moaned happily into the kiss. His grip slid down to her ass, and he squeezed her firm cheeks. Her kiss became more passionate.

Ben was surprised when she pushed off to stand and rushed over to her suitcase. She smiled back at him over her shoulder as she dug into the case.

"Get those pants off!" she growled playfully.

He snorted softly yet moved quickly to follow her orders. Down went his pants and boxers. He heard her make a happy sound as she pulled the tube of lube from her case. Then she immediately set about wiggling out of her pants.

Ben tugged his shirt off and watched her prance back to the couch with a happy grin on her face. She pulled her shirt up and slipped her bra off to press her body against his, her lips finding his once more. The skin to skin contact sent tingles through both of them. When his big hands were back on her body again, she moaned and squeezed tighter against him.

Cat wanted Ben so badly. His body was so intensely sexy for her, and he loved her so much, the combination always got her motor revving. When she discovered how much he believed in her by offering her the top position in his new foundation, it rocked her world.

Even if Walter's news made it impossible, the fact that Ben believed she could take on such an enormous challenge meant so much to her. She'd witnessed Ben's faith in Gabriella's ability to succeed in her business, and while she wasn't jealous of her friend, she'd wondered how that would feel. Ashraf certainly hadn't shown any faith in her abilities through their years of marriage. Chanel loved her deeply, but their relationship was still in the honeymoon phase, so their awe in each other was too fresh.

But Ben, with just a few simple words, demonstrated the incredible scope of his faith in her. She felt like she might float out the window- Her eyes suddenly caught motion on the roof of the building across the street. Their room was on the fifth floor, facing west and the setting sun. She had a clear view of someone on the roof of the opposite building. He was holding something large and black and pointing it at their window. Her smile dropped away.

Ben noticed Catherine's attention swing to something over his shoulder, so he turned to look out the window. He saw the silhouette of the man on the rooftop across the way. Was that a gun?

A second person suddenly appeared behind the man and struck him on the back of his head. They grabbed something on his collar as he tipped forward and went over the edge of the roof to fall out of view. Catherine gasped as Ben stared at the shape of the woman backlit by the bright sunset. She was tall and svelte and holding the strap of the man's camera dangling from her hand. The camera's lens was quite large so a telephoto for shooting distant subjects, like hotel rooms. That's what the fallen man had been pointing at them before the woman knocked him from the roof.

"Liliya?" Ben said quietly as her shape was similar. Close to the same height with sleek curves. The woman waved then turned to leave.

Long ebony hair caught the fading rays of the sun as she walked towards the southern edge of the rooftop. It wasn't Liliya unless she was wearing a wig. The woman did something to the camera and casually tossed it back near the spot where the man fell. Then she suddenly sprinted forward at full speed. Ben and Cat heard popping sounds from across the street. They rushed forward to peer out the window to see where she went and caught sight of a blonde woman dashing after the brunette. Then they were both gone.

Ben looked down and could barely make out the feet of the man who fell from the roof sticking up through the top branches of a tree below. People were gathering under the tree, so he'd been spotted.

Ben was glad he wasn't going to need to call for emergency services as avoiding getting involved meant he wouldn't have to mention seeing the two women on the roof. He started to pull his clothes on and looked to Catherine to see she was pulling her clothes on as well.

The lovely blonde smiled at him. She turned and looked back over her shoulder at him as she pointed her finger at her perfect naked ass. "I will have you deep inside here tonight," she purred.

Ben felt an excited twitch in his underwear, and her grin just got a little wider.

He knew they had dinner plans tonight but... maybe they could call for room service instead?

After all, they were flying home tomorrow morning. It was better to get to bed earlier.

Chapter 12

Ben relaxed in his favorite chair in his living room and scanned the engineering boards for any new challenges but found nothing of interest. He spotted a few issues he'd already found solutions for, so he left comments, directing them to the companies they should contact.

He used his access to log into the US Government engineering board, and after a little poking around, he flagged a ticket that looked promising. Tina called out that dinner was ready so he shut down. He'd spend a little more time reviewing the ticket tomorrow.

He joined Tina, Lucy, and the kids in the dining room and inhaled the scent of the pasta, rich meat sauce, and warm garlic bread.

"Smells delicious!" he said with a smile.

Tina and Lucy smiled back at him. Tonight's dinner was a joint effort as Lucy was learning from Tina.

Once they were all seated and enjoying dinner, Lucy looked over at Ben with an excited grin. "I spotted a news story online today about a paparazzi who fell off the roof of the building across from our hotel! He landed in a tree which saved his life! He had broken bones from hitting the branches, but he's going to live! Those guys are a menace, but I'm glad this one didn't fall to his death while we were there. Even if he might have been trying to get pics of us through the hotel windows."

Ben shook his head wearily. He made Catherine promise not to mention their part in the excitement on the opposite rooftop. If that had been Liliya chasing the brunette, he didn't want to make trouble for her. He needed her back, taking care of her daughter.

The doorbell chimed softly, and Ben looked at Tina and Lucy. "You expecting anyone?" They shook their heads.

He got up and walked to the front door. He opened it to see a man in a courier's uniform waiting with an envelope and a tablet. The man smiled at him.

"Envelope for Ben Shepherd," he said as he passed over the tablet and a stylus. Ben signed and accepted the envelope. "Have a good night!"

"You too," Ben responded as the courier headed back to his truck.

Ben looked to his left and saw the Sergeant standing in the shadows by the edge of the house, her gun going back into its holster. The van pulled down the driveway and drove off, the driver unaware he'd been in the Sergeant's sights the entire time.

"It was just a courier," Ben said to her.

"Outside of standard operating hours," she responded.

Ben nodded. "Have you had supper yet?"

She paused. "No."

"Then please join us," Ben said gesturing to the door.

"I don't want to intrude-"

"Come on!" he said with a smile, and she hustled up the steps to enter the home. She slipped waterproof booties over her combat boots to project his floors and followed him into the dining room where Tina was adding a place setting while Lucy carried a plate of spaghetti and meat sauce from the kitchen.

Evelyn nodded to the two women. "Thank you!"

Ben retook his seat and looked at the envelope. No return address. It was pretty light.

"Might I suggest that be opened later in a controlled environment?" the Sergeant said quietly.

He looked at her and nodded slowly. He stood again and took it down to his office, leaving it on his drafting table before returning to join them. "I'll open it after dinner," he said quietly.

"Will we have to check our mail so carefully from now on?" Tina asked cautiously, and Ben looked to her then the Sergeant.

"I'd suggest hiring a mail screening service for extra security. No mail or parcels should be delivered to your home unless it's by the service. With your growing celebrity, this would add safety for your family." She smiled at the babies who grinned back at her.

Ben frowned at yet another example of the invasive nature of fame then sighed. "I suppose that means less junk mail to deal with," he said to lighten the mood. The ladies smiled and nodded.

They enjoyed their meals then the Sergeant thanked them for the invite and made her way home.

Ben tidied up the kitchen and gave the ladies kisses before heading down to his office to open the courier envelope. He was cautious when he opened it, but there was nothing nefarious about it.

Inside, all he found was a memory stick. This went into his laptop, and he scanned it thoroughly for threats before reviewing its contents. There were a series of image files and one video file. He opened the images first.

There on the screen were pictures of Catherine and himself hugging, kissing, and undressing. These were the images the paparazzi had been taking from the rooftop across the street. Several caught Catherine topless. Curious, he played the video. The brunette who knocked the man from the roof smiled back at the camera a little timidly.

Ben was stunned by how pretty she was. Her features had almost perfect symmetry; then he realized this was one of the tools of her trade as an assassin. She'd be able to get much closer to her target if her target desperately wanted to get closer to her. He wasn't sure how many operations it took to reach this level, but she'd likely endured quite a lot. When she smiled at the camera, he got a flash of her pearly whites. She had a dazzling smile — another weapon in her arsenal.

"Hello, Mr. Shepherd. My name is Tatiana Pushkin. I am a colleague of Liliya Sokolov who has currently made it her mission to kill me. I would very much like your assistance in convincing her to stop. I bear her no ill will and only wish to remain alive. I could hunt her as well and very likely kill her before she got me, but I want her to live too. Now that our Master is dead and our files are no longer in the hands of that government, we finally have our freedom. However, no one should have to live looking over their shoulder in constant fear. I send you this to prove that I have done you a good deed. I hope you can return the favor. Thank you."

The video ended.

Ben sat back and pondered her request. She considered pushing a man off the roof of a five-story building a favor. Granted the man didn't die, but she couldn't have known he'd survive. She was an assassin, so maybe this was just a simple transaction for her. The paparazzi's life for hers?

As cold as that thought made her seem, Ben was inclined to help her but, as Liliya gave him no means to contact her, his hands were tied. This Pushkin woman also gave him no way to reply to her message. Frustrated, he ejected the memory stick and shut down the laptop.

He made his way upstairs and pushed all of this aside. He had babies to help put to bed!

-=-

Two days later found Ben driving to Western Mercy Hospital for a meeting with Hannah and Dr. Granger. He smiled as he recalled Hannah's curiosity when he'd called her to set up the meeting, but he hadn't given her any details other than he was on a fact-finding mission for a new initiative he was considering. She'd growled playfully at him in frustration, and they'd ended up laughing, but he kept the secret. The new foundation he was contemplating would include a health care component, and he needed their help in fleshing out what this might entail.

He asked Rain Palomo if she could meet him there as well. He wanted to pick her brain about the services offered and the challenges she'd encountered at the street clinic as her clients were the closest to the clientele he expected to be supporting. She'd said she'd see what her schedule looked like and would try.

The reason for this enthusiasm was the fact that he'd had a call with Walter the previous day who was feeling optimistic about his legal ownership of the properties. Especially since the deeds were in Ben's possession and foreign jurisdictional laws no longer applied. Ben was grateful he'd had the foresight to stop in Berlin to pick them up on the way back from Russia.

There was still the matter of who Rainor had swindled out of the vast fortune spent to obtain the deeds. Ben wouldn't move on selling the properties until that particular matter was resolved. That didn't mean he wasn't going to prepare for it. His plan was going to move forward. Only the scale was in question.

He parked at the hospital, grabbed his laptop case, and went inside to walk to Hannah's office. Her secretary had him take a seat. A few minutes later Hannah arrived with a happy smile, and he stood to pull her into a tight hug.

"Ben! Goodness! What a hug!" she exclaimed with a happy grin on her face. She looked at him closely to see if something was wrong but saw no tension in his expression.

He glanced at the grinning secretary behind her and blushed. He returned his attention to Hannah. "Sorry, just happy to see you."

"Hey! Can I get in on that hug action?"

They turned to the doorway to see a lovely and petite brunette grinning at them. Her long mahogany hair was pushed back from her pretty face and Ben couldn't help admiring how beautiful she was. Her grin grew wider seeing his appreciation.

"Rain? I wasn't expecting to see you this morning... was I?" Hannah asked as she turned to her secretary who shook her head.

"I asked her to join us," Ben responded.

Rain skipped forward and accepted Ben's warm hug. She was tingling when she pulled back.

"Free hugs?"

They all looked to the doorway once more, and Dr. Granger was standing there. Ben opened his arms, and the Doctor accepted a hug from him.

"Shall we go into my office?" Hannah asked and received nods.

Once they were comfortably seated, Hannah stared at Ben. "Are you going to keep us in suspense?"

Ben chuckled, seeing the curiosity in the eyes of the three women. He held up his hands in surrender. "Ok, I'll spill some details. Please note that this plan is a work in progress and much depends on information I'm waiting on from my lawyer, Walter Greyson." He received nods from the women. "Here goes. I'm considering a new initiative, setting up a foundation to support young people who are struggling to extract themselves from the cycle of poverty and misfortune; people who are trying to make something of their lives. This foundation will provide support for education and training and offer assistance with healthcare, both medical and mental, housing, and especially life counseling. These kids need access to speak with people who can offer them relevant advice to help them heal and get their heads on straight, so they'll have a chance to achieve their goals. I'll need advice and expertise to support this effort."

Three shocked expressions looked back at him. He started to worry when no one spoke. "You don't like the idea?" he ventured cautiously.

The women all spoke at once. "No, it's brilliant!" "It's amazing!" "I'd love to help you with this!"

He sighed in relief with a smile on his face.

"It's going to be expensive!" Hannah offered.

"I'm working on a means to finance the foundation. I'll hopefully know soon. I can begin with a local effort, but if I get the news I'm expecting, I'll be opening the foundation in six cities around the world."

The ladies were back to staring at him in shock.

Opening his laptop, he pulled up a fresh document file. "Can I ask you some questions about how you'd see this working? I'm just looking for rough outlines for now."

Shock turned into delight as they all leaned closer.

-=-

It was late afternoon when Ben drove back into his neighborhood. He'd spent a large part of the day brainstorming with Hannah, Rain, and Dr. Granger. He had pages and pages of notes. He considered if the Sergeant might be willing to organize them for him. He smiled slightly. He knew she would, but he wondered if he should even ask her. It felt like he'd be taking advantage of her obsessiveness.

He spotted Dominic getting out of his truck and pulled into the driveway behind him. Dominic looked his way then smiled. Ben shut off his truck and got out to shake the man's hand.

"Ben! Good to see you!"

"How've you been?" Ben asked.

"Can't complain." Dominic looked closer at Ben. "What's on your mind?"

Ben grinned as the man had seen the question before he asked it. "I was hoping to pick your brain and your wife's brain for an initiative I'm developing. Nothing solid yet but I'm building a plan, should it take off."

"Sure, we have time now if you do," Dominic said gesturing to his place.

Ben smiled and nodded. "I won't take too much of your time." He grabbed his laptop case from his truck then followed Dominic into the house.

"Sophia, I'm home, and I brought Ben!" Dominic called out.

The woman walked out of the kitchen to greet them with a broad smile. "Hi, Ben! What brings you over to visit?" she said happily, and she accepted a kiss on her cheek from him, then her husband.

"Ben here would like to ask us some questions regarding..." He looked back at Ben in question.

"I'm starting a foundation to assist young people in breaking free from poverty and making lives for themselves. Part of this will be to assist them with housing. They're going to need a place to live while they are getting training and I'd like your advice on renovating and repurposing existing buildings or building from scratch."

Eyebrows rose, and smiles bloomed.

"Yeah, we'd love to help with that," Sophia exclaimed.

"I haven't discussed what I'm going to say next with anyone other than my lawyer and a few people very close to me so I'd like you to keep it to yourselves until I'm ready to make a full disclosure," Ben asked.

The couple nodded, their curiosity captured.

"My lawyer is confirming the last few details, but it looks like I've inherited a great deal of prime real estate in some major cities of seven different countries. It's potentially worth billions. I'm probably going to sell large portions of these lots, but I'll keep some to set up foundation headquarters in six of these cities. These would incorporate housing, office space, fitness centers, medical centers, training centers and anything else that might assist these kids in making it. If Walter says it's a no go with the seven properties, I'm still prepared to do a local foundation."

"We'd very much like to be a part of this! We have an excellent architect company we use that could work with you on the design of buildings whether you're building new or fixing up existing ones," Dominic insisted.

Ben opened up his laptop and started a new document.

-=-

It was dinner time before Ben managed to get home. Lucy met him at the door with Gretchen in her arms, and both got kisses from him. He put his laptop in his office then came back upstairs to kiss Tina. Sam got one too then Christopher and Rose. The young girl was becoming quite attached to him, and the rest of his family too. Ben was worried about how she'd react when her mother came back to take her away. The longer it took, the harder it might be for the girl.

"Ben, are you going to New York this weekend for the second part of the shopping trip?" Tina asked as they sat down to dinner.

"Yes. Did you change your mind about joining me?" Ben asked as he looked towards Tina and Lucy.

Tina shook her head and gave him a little smile. "No. We'll wait for Sam and Gretchen to be a little older before we take another trip away from them. The trip to Beverly Hills was fun, but I don't want to do that too often." Lucy nodded her agreement. "Besides, we're having a party over at Karen and Penny's house with all the kids," Tina explained, and Ben pouted as that sounded like more fun than going shopping in New York.

"Hannah's going and Gabriella's meeting you there, yes?" Lucy asked.

Ben nodded. He knew how much Hannah and Gabriella were looking forward to this.

He smiled at the two women who grinned back at him happily. He'd filled them in on his foundation, and they were very excited about the plan. "I'll have Evelyn with me as well."

"I feel better knowing that," Tina said with a nod. Lucy agreed.

Christopher told them about the fun he and Rose had at the daycare that day, and Rose forgot her shyness for a moment and added her two cents which delighted Ben. She beamed a shy smile at him after her exclamation as she saw how happy it made him. She was opening up, reacting as a child should. It was significant progress for her and Ben only wished her mother had been here to witness it.

The kids played with Tina and Lucy after dinner in the living room as Ben tidied up. He was distracted by his thoughts of the two assassins playing their deadly game of cat and mouse somewhere out there, so he didn't hear Lucy enter the kitchen. He jumped slightly as her arms wrapped around his waist.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to spook you," she said contritely.

"No, it's fine. My mind was miles away," he assured her. "Is it bedtime for the kids?"

"Yes."

Ben turned and kissed Lucy's soft lips until he felt her tremble in his arms. Her eyes opened, and her need for him shone from them. "Let's get them tucked away in their beds."

"Yes!" Lucy gasped then giggled at the breathiness of her voice.

He followed her into the living room and helped gather up the kids. He carried Rose to the bedroom she shared with Christopher. He'd picked up a bed for her and rearranged some furniture to make it fit in the room. It was temporary until Liliya returned. Ben left to brush his teeth and when he returned Rose was in her jammies. She gave him a big smile as he tucked her into her bed. Christopher was all giggles with Tina kissing his ears.

Ben kissed Rose on her forehead. "Sweet dreams, Rose," he said softly. She nodded as she smiled in return. Ben moved to the other bed and kissed Christopher's forehead. As he pulled away, the young boy looked up at him with happy eyes.

"Good night, Daddy!" the boy blurted.

"Good night, Christopher," Ben said with a proud smile.

He followed Tina to the door.

"Good night, Daddy," a soft voice called out.

Ben paused and looked back at Rose in surprise. His throat felt a little tight. "Good night, Rose."

Tina turned out the light and gently pulled Ben from the room.

When they reached their bedroom and closed the door behind them, Tina looked up at Ben's troubled expression. "You are worried about Rose."

He held her eyes and nodded. Lucy moved to stand with them, and he sighed in frustration. "Liliya is hunting the other members from her hit squad. I received word from her colleague, Tatiana Pushkin. She thinks I have some way of contacting Liliya to get her to stop. Tatiana said she doesn't want to kill Liliya and she also wants to live. Rose is going to be devastated if her mother doesn't come back."

"This is Liliya's decision. She's the one who put her daughter into this situation. You're doing an incredible job of making Rose feel welcome and happy. You heard her tonight. She couldn't feel more secure!" Tina said.

Ben nodded and saw the love in the eyes of the two women. He pulled them to him and kissed them deeply. He playfully picked them both up against his chest and carried them to the bed. They were madly giggling as he knee-walked onto the bed still clinging to them.

He managed to lay them both back against the pillows side by side and kissed his way down their bodies, listening to their happy gasps and sighs.

Tina and Lucy were always there for him when his emotions threatened to overwhelm him. He was going to reward them for their caring devotion tonight.

Many, many times.

Chapter 13

Late Friday afternoon, Hannah stood on the tarmac staring at the sleek black jet with her mouth open. Ben smiled at her awe and moved to head off her first question.

"No, I didn't buy a jet."

Hannah broke her gaze from the plane to face him. "But it says Sky Shepherd on its side! And... that's you on the tail!"

Ben sighed with a smile. "Apparently, I have a branding company. Something Gabriella set up and Dennis Thomasson, the fellow who owns this jet service, took full advantage of it.

"It's beautiful!" Hannah sighed.

"I think you'll find the inside to your liking as well," he suggested, and she grinned at him as she excitedly made her way up the stairs. Ben carried their bags inside and stowed them. The pilot came out to shake his hand.

"Good evening. Mr. Shepherd. I'm Roger, and I'll be your pilot tonight. John is your copilot." He gestured behind himself. He looked beyond Ben and spotted Hannah. "Will our third passenger be arriving shortly?"

"Call me Ben. Sorry, I forgot to update you earlier. The Sergeant had to make a stop in Washington earlier so she went on ahead and will be meeting us in New York, so it's just the two of us tonight."

"Very good. If you could take your seats, we'll be leaving shortly." With a friendly nod, the pilot stepped back inside the cockpit and closed the door.

Ben walked back into the cabin to see Hannah stretched out on one of the plush seats. She'd kicked off her shoes.

"Oh, this is decadent!" Hannah purred.

Ben leaned over Hannah and brushed his lips across hers as she trembled. He took her breath away.

There was a click sound, and Hannah's eyes widened as she realized Ben had buckled her seatbelt as he distracted her with his kiss.

He pulled back with a smug smile on his face and sat in the chair facing her, fastening his seatbelt and removing his shoes.

Hannah brought her seat back to the upright position and smirked at him. "Clever boy," she chided. She glanced at the corridor leading to the cockpit. They couldn't see the door from their current position. "These reclining seats give me ideas."

"Wouldn't you prefer a bed?" Ben said lightly, and she froze as she looked at him. He nodded, and she spun in her seat to look back at the door behind them.

"I- I thought that was just a bathroom!" she gasped.

"Well there is a bathroom in there, too," he replied.

Hannah's grin widened wickedly, and suddenly Ben was taken back to a night in a romantic little cabin in Saint Pierre d'Albigny. Hannah had surprised him with her rather aggressive appetite that night. He felt himself swelling as he recalled her enthusiasm.

Once the flight was underway and the seatbelt light was switched off, Hannah climbed from her seat to investigate what was behind that door. Ben took off his seat belt and smiled when he heard Hannah's sexy chuckle.

"This is perfect!" she purred as she turned to face him. He closed the door behind him then reached up to release her hair from the bun she kept it in at work. Once more she sighed at the sensual pleasure of his fingers running through her hair. Tingles rushed down her spine; then she was crushed against Ben's hard muscles as she thrust her tongue into his mouth.

Ben was once again caught by surprise by the strength of Hannah's passion, but he quickly gave himself over to it and sucked on her active tongue. She moaned at the pure sexiness of that and slid her hands down to his ass.

He struggled not to smile as her hands gripped and kneaded the hard muscles of his ass cheeks. Hannah was a little obsessed with his glutes, and he was ok with that if it made her happy. He'd discovered in France that this calm, cool, and collected executive was a wild tigress in bed. She had particular desires, and she got what she wanted. He reflected that drive was what probably made her a success in business too.

Hannah pulled Ben closer to the bed then turned his back to it and pushed. Hard.

After he stopped bouncing, he smiled at her in surprise as he began to unbutton his shirt and undo his pants. Hannah tugged his socks off then pulled his pants down with a grin on her lips and heat in her eyes. He was seriously tenting his boxers. He managed to pull his shirt up and off as she slipped off his underwear and he was naked before her.

She stopped to admire the view as something about Ben being completely naked before her, while she was still dressed, sent an intense thrill through her as she'd never experienced before. Keeping her eyes on his body, she reached under her skirt and slipped off her pantyhose and panties. She stepped out of them and smiled down at him. He was looking up at her with a small smile on his lips and curiosity in his eyes.

"You're not taking anything else off?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

She shook her head with a wicked little grin as she climbed onto the bed. She knee-walked up the bed, straddling his body. She admired the view of his hard cock resting back against his stomach. When she was close enough, she reached out to gently slide her fingertips from its base to the head enjoying the heat and how smooth the tight skin felt.

"Mmmm! You're so hard for me!" she purred.

Ben's eyes watched her hungrily, and she trembled with her need for him. "I need you," he said, his voice a deep rumble.

Hannah's body flushed with heat, and she felt that tingle between her legs demanding some attention. She almost giggled aloud as what she wanted next popped into her mind, surprising her. She knee walked further up his body, pausing only momentarily to rub her wet lips up the underside of his cock. She gasped at the heat and firmness then she continued upwards, and Ben's eyes lit up as he guessed what she wanted.

She squeaked when his big hands slid up the back of her legs to cup her ass and lift her the remaining distance.

"BEN!" she gasped in shock as he gently lowered her over his face. She tugged the front of her skirt up so she could see his eyes as he looked up into hers. The moment his mouth kissed her pussy lightning shot through her body. She jolted and lost her grip on her skirt which fell back to cover his head.

As the blissful sensations coursed through her body, she dropped her eyes to see Ben completely hidden under her clothes. She felt so decadently sexy, having this gorgeous naked man give her such pleasure like she was a queen.

"AHHH! FUCK!" she gasped aloud as he gently sucked on her clit. She pulled her skirt up to see the smile in Ben's eyes as he drove her mad with his talented mouth and tongue.

She needed him inside her now. She began to move and found herself lifted once more. Ben's face came back into view as she glided down his chest. His strong hands on her ass felt so good! She smiled down at him as he was able to read her intentions so well.

Best of all, he enjoyed her need to be on top. The position felt best for her as she could control the speed and pressure applied to bring herself to a truly mind-shattering release. Her husband Andrew hadn't been supportive at all. It made him uncomfortable to be under her, and he'd actually complained that he felt used and less of a man when she did it. She'd begun to wonder if she'd been doing something wrong to him.

The first time she'd had sex with Ben, in that gorgeous chalet in France, she'd been hesitant to show any assertiveness, but Ben refused to let her be less than honest about her needs.

He showed no discomfort with her taking the top position.

He didn't complain about feeling used or emasculated.

Ben had just smiled up at her with love in his eyes as he helped her find her bliss!

That night, Hannah shed all of the guilt and anxiety she'd held inside, and thoroughly enjoyed herself. Many times. Ben chuckled about feeling worn out the next morning but he kissed her and held her in his arms, and she felt... free!

As Ben slid her down his hard stomach, she gasped when the thick head of his cock suddenly pressed against her clit.

"OH FUCK! Wait!" she gushed as tingles flashed through her. She reached behind herself, and lifted his cock to position it just so, before pressing back against it. Her pussy resisted the invasion at first, but it couldn't deny him for long. The hot head slipped inside, and she threw her head back with another gasp. He felt so good!

Working her hips back on his, she eased herself down the length of his cock, forcing it deeper and deeper until it would go no further. He pulled her down on his chest and kissed her until she thought she might faint from the sensations filling her mind. He was such a physical person. From his heat stroking in and out of her, his arms wrapped around her squeezing her breasts against his powerful chest, and his lips and tongue worshipping hers, it was overload. Plus his motions were dragging her clit against his pelvis, each stroke bringing her higher and higher. His hands moved down to squeeze her ass, and it was suddenly too much.

They were 30,000 feet in the air, traveling faster than most commercial airlines flew, and having glorious sex in a decadently soft bed. Hannah's mind was blown, and her orgasm exploded through her as she felt Ben's heat surge into her.

"oh, ben! Oh god ben! I love you!" she gushed out quietly against his neck.

"I love you too, Hannah!" he whispered back.

He didn't stop stroking in and out, but he did slow the pace as he knew Hannah preferred to descend from Heaven slowly.

Finally, she patted his chest, and he arched his back to draw himself out.

"ahhhhh..." she sighed and snuggled against his chest, enjoying the tender moment of feeling petite by comparison to him. She wasn't particularly tall, but she wasn't slim like Trish or Catherine. These moments were special for her. She'd never cuddled with Andrew like this.

After her heart rate returned to normal, she pushed herself to a sitting position on Ben's stomach. "I don't suppose this jet has laundry service."

Ben chuckled, and Hannah gasped as she bounced slightly on his stomach. "No, but your luggage is up by the front galley, and there's a shower behind that door if you wish to freshen up." He pointed to the side of the room, her eyes following his finger to see the entrance to the bathroom.

"Could you bring me my suitcase while I shower?" she asked as she slipped off the bed and began to undress. He pushed himself up on his elbows.

"Now I get to see you naked?" he said in fake exasperation.

She gently snorted as she smiled and turned to enter the bathroom. "Oh! This is lovely!"

Ben wiped his stomach clean with the sheets then walked naked to the front of the plane to collect Hannah's suitcase. He went back to the bedroom and closed the door once more. He sat on the edge to wait his turn in the shower.

A few minutes later Hannah opened the door and stepped out with a blissful smile on her face. "This kind of travel I could get used to!" she purred.

"It spoils you," Ben cautioned with a gentle smile.

She sighed and nodded. "It really could."

As Ben made his way past, he felt a slap on his bare ass, surprising him. He looked back at Hannah in shock and saw her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment, but her eyes were twinkling with mischief. He slowly turned to pounce on her, but she rushed around the foot of the bed with a shriek and held out her hands to block his advance. "Speaking of being spoiled, you should forgive me that spank.

He stopped and looked at her with raised brows. "I should?"

She struggled not to smile as she nodded. "That's what this weekend is all about, right? Being spoiled?"

Finally, a grin slipped onto his lips. "Oh, I think someone is well on her way!" He turned and went to take his shower and Hannah sighed in relief as she sat on the mattress as her legs gave out.

The spank had shocked her as well. Maybe she was on her way to being spoiled by the big man.

That wouldn't be so bad, would it?

-=-

As Ben and Hannah walked into the terminal in New York, they spotted the Sergeant speaking with some airport Security people. Ben noted her relaxed body language, so he allowed himself to relax as well. Her eyes found his, and she waved to the guards as she made her way over to them.

"How was Washington?" he asked as she joined them.

"The Captain sends his regards," she replied. Ben nodded with a smile. "Because of the evidence you provided to the FBI, he got a head's up from Agent Montrose who said there'd been significant activity in the city between the senior crime syndicate families. She's in town hunting Don Solerno. The man is in the wind. The other families are looking for him as well as he was doing a major deal with their money."

"Is this going to be a problem?" Hannah asked in concern.

Evelyn smiled and shook her head. "The Captain is on it. We'll have additional protection if we need it which is doubtful as the fact of Mr. Shep- Ben's inheritance from Rainor Hahn is not widely known."

Ben wondered what she meant by additional protection but didn't ask as he could see it made Hannah nervous. "It's a city with a population over eight and a half million? We're just three, soon to be four, here to have a good time. Let's do that!"

Hannah nodded with a smile and Evelyn grinned at him too.

They grabbed a taxi and Ben gave the driver the name of the hotel. Tina booked three rooms at the Plaza, next to Central Park. Two adjoining rooms tonight with a third added for Saturday night when Gabriella would be joining them.

Ben enjoyed the drive through the vast city with Hannah leaning up against his side. There was so much to see in the city!

The Sergeant was riding up front with the driver, keeping an eye on their surroundings and making the man nervous.

They arrived at their hotel after a short time. Ben checked them in, and they dropped their bags off in their rooms. Looking for a fun dining destination, they grabbed another cab and stood in line to get a table at Katz's Diner. The other people waiting were delighted to have a celebrity patiently waiting with them. Ben enjoyed taking in the atmosphere until, eventually, they were led to a small table by the back wall. Their server was a young woman with dark skin, curly hair pulled back with a kerchief, and a brilliant smile as she recognized who she was serving. Once she had their orders she rushed off, and a few minutes later the manager made an appearance and got a picture with Ben for his wall of fame, much to Ben's embarrassment.

Things settled down after that, and they got to enjoy their meals. Hannah was in great spirits, maybe even a little giddy and Ben enjoyed teasing her.

The waitress got her picture taken with Ben once they'd finished up and Evelyn grabbed them a taxi back to take them to Time Square to enjoy the lights. Hannah took selfies with Ben with the huge screens all about them as the Sergeant kept watch over them. They did a little sight-seeing then headed back to the hotel.

He enjoyed the plush amenities of the five-star hotel, but he recalled not that long ago finding a fold-out couch in a basic hotel to be a welcome respite for a night. He didn't need the luxury, but the ladies certainly enjoyed it.

Evelyn gave him a wide-eyed look when she'd first entered the room he'd booked for her. It was as luxurious as the room in Beverly Hills, and she didn't have to share it. Considering she slept on an army cot in the room he set her up in at home, she wasn't used to such extravagance. He wondered if she'd be more comfortable going camping. He wanted to take the kids out to the woods once Sam and Gretchen were older.

Ben prepared for sleep and got in bed while Hannah took her turn. A short time later she exited from the bathroom in a gossamer nightie and purred as she slipped between the sheets to climb on Ben's larger body. He smiled up at her.

"Thank you for a lovely evening Ben!" she sighed.

"It's not over yet," he chuckled as her eyes were telling him she wanted him again.

He could deny her nothing!

Chapter 14

Gabriella met them at their table in The Palm Court restaurant for breakfast. She'd already left her bag with the reception desk clerks to be moved to her room when it was ready.

Ben stood and gave her a warm hug and kiss and Hannah pressed cheeks with her. The Sergeant nodded shyly to the gorgeous brunette and received a smile and nod in return. Gabriella took a seat next to Ben and requested tea from a waiter who appeared at her elbow.

"How went your meetings?" Ben asked.

Her smile widened. "Very well! I have a new chain of stores lined up to distribute the Brezza line as well as the accessories I'm importing."

Ben's smile grew as he looked at her proudly. She basked in his admiration.

"Did you have a good evening?" she asked coyly, and Hannah's blush and smile told her everything she needed to know. She chuckled at Hannah's attempt to hide the heat rising to her cheeks.

Hannah finally gave up and nodded. "We had a delicious meal at Katz's Deli then saw the lights in Time Square. It was magical!"

"Today's plan is to hit the shops?" Ben asked.

"Yes!" returned enthusiastically from the two ladies, who burst into giggles.

Ben smiled happily at them. It was good to see Hannah feeling at ease in Gabriella's company.

They settled in to enjoy their breakfast.

A short time later Gabriella suddenly squeaked softly. "Oh! I forgot to mention! I received some invitations for tonight to a private showing at the Met- the Metropolitan Museum of Art! It's a rather exclusive affair. Can we go?" She looked hopefully at Ben, her lush lower lip caught between her teeth.

He snorted as she was someone else he couldn't refuse when she gave him that look. He nodded to her as Hannah started to laugh, so Ben turned his attention to her.

"Oh, Ben! It's so easy to see your willing servitude to Gabriella's desires. I- I meant her request!" she finished in an embarrassed rush.

Gabriella was chuckling too, but that didn't stop the self-satisfied smile from slipping onto her lips. "That's only because he loves me as I love him," she insisted playfully.

"What are they showing at the Museum?" Ben asked to change the subject.

Gabriella dug in her purse and pulled out one of the tickets. She looked at the front. "It says there will be a new piece on temporary loan from the art collection of Rajeem and Prisha Singh and... a gallery of challenging, bold art from artists from India. So... yeah. That's it."

Ben could see the excitement in her eyes, so he nodded. "Who sent you the invites?"

"One of my suppliers is a fan of the Singh art collection. She was very excited about this and thought I might enjoy it too. I know nothing about the Singh's.

"When in New York..." Ben said with a smile.

-=-

Gabriella knew all of the shops to visit, and she and Hannah were in Heaven! The two chattered away, completely relaxed with each other as they tried on outfit after outfit, in shop after shop. They both looked to Ben to get his impression of the clothes they were trying on, but he wasn't sure what they were picking up from his comments as sometimes they listened, sometimes they didn't.

He was gradually accumulating shopping bags as they both found clothes they liked.

The Sergeant was making the rounds, ever vigilant, and always close by. Not in-your-face close by any stretch of the imagination, but present.

They stopped for lunch then went right back to shopping.

Ben felt soft lips on his cheek and woke in a chair he'd commandeered in the waiting area of the fitting room. The warm spice of Gabriella's perfume teased his nose, and his eyes opened to see her lovely green eyes watching him as she leaned down before him. The next thing that trapped his gaze was the deep cleavage she was displaying in the off the shoulder deep green bustier dress.

"I think you've had enough shopping today," she said softly with a smile.

"You- you're going to buy that dress, right?" he asked.

She chuckled and nodded.

Ben worked on waking himself completely as Hannah stepped out of the change room. He froze as his eyes followed the sweep of her back leading to the delightful curve of her ass in the form-fitting gold dress. He heard her happy sigh and his eyes lifted to her smile as she stepped back into the change room.

He purchased the two dresses once they exited the rooms with happy smiles.

They headed back to the hotel to dress for the showing at the museum. They'd go out for dinner afterward.

Ben wore his traditional black jacket over a dark grey silk shirt, black slacks, and black leather shoes. Hannah chose the gold dress, and when they met her in the lobby, Ben saw Gabriella was in the green dress. Evelyn was wearing her black commando uniform once more.

The Concierge got them a taxi over to the Met. There was a fair amount of people on the sidewalk and the stairs taking pictures of the guests entering the building. Ben thought he spotted a celebrity or two. He sighed and stepped out of the taxi to assist Hannah and Gabriella out. The Sergeant was already watching the crowd. They walked through the onslaught of flashes going off then reached the door where Gabriella presented the four invitations. They entered the building and met a guide who directed them to the exhibition hall. There was a hall set up for schmoozing with the other guests and as they entered Ben saw a few people noticed him. He glanced around, wondering if he'd see Phil DeMonte considering how many times they'd bumped into one another in Beverly Hills and this was his town. He nodded to a few people who were smiling in his direction. One took that nod as an invite and Ben heard Hannah squeak in excitement as Lawrence Manning approached with a smile.

"Good evening, Ben!"

Good evening, Lawrence! Fancy bumping into you here!" Ben said with a curious look. Not waiting for an answer, he gestured to the ladies. "These are my good friends Hannah Cooper and Gabriella Wallace. You've met Sergeant Killcade."

That charming smile appeared on the actor's face, and he shook the hands of Hannah and Gabriella who were grinning madly. He nodded to the Sergeant whose attention quickly went back to the room.

"My agent got me an invitation. Said it was important but didn't say why. I had no idea you'd be here."

"Where did you two meet before?" Hannah asked.

Ben nodded. "At a party in Beverly Hills. Lawrence is considering a role in a movie about me."

"What?!?" Hannah gasped in shock and Gabriella gave Ben a troubled look as she knew that a movie probably wasn't sitting well with him.

Lawrence watched the reactions of the ladies curiously. "Is it the idea of the movie that's more distressing or is it the idea of me portraying Ben?" he asked.

Hannah was the first to respond. "The movie! I think you'd be amazing!" Gabriella nodded her agreement but kept her eyes on Ben.

He lifted her hand to his lips, and her look of concern relaxed when he gave her a small smile.

"I have one studio considering the idea of a musical, but the others are sticking with the action genre," Lawrence admitted.

Gabriella snorted in surprised amusement. At Lawrence's glance, she quickly assured him. "Ben's not a singer."

"But he dances like no one I've seen," Lawrence insisted.

Gabriella's eyebrows rose. "You've seen him dance?" she asked in surprise and turned her head to Ben who was awkwardly shrugging.

"La'Shia and Brooklyn asked if I would dance for them. Just two songs," he assured her.

"Then he told us the story of Marguerite Durand. That's a story that should be told!" Lawrence said enthusiastically.

"No!" Ben snapped then quickly reigned in his anger. He discovered he was trembling and Gabriella looked at him sympathetically. She placed her hand on his arm, and he calmed with her touch. "Sorry, but they wouldn't do it right, and it's not a story with a happy ending. It's not the story she deserved!" he finally admitted.

A voice spoke over the background murmur of conversation and drew their eyes. "May I have your attention, please! Thank you all for attending tonight's event." Everyone turned to face the entrance to the roped off gallery where a nicely dressed woman stood before an older couple who were smiling back at the gathering. Ben noticed several photographers were in attendance, so they were likely from the press. Good publicity for the couple and the Museum.

"In a moment the Singh's will open the gallery for your viewing pleasure. Many of these paintings have never had a public viewing before, so I'd like to thank them for their extreme generosity."

There was polite applause, and the couple accepted it gracefully and waved to some people they recognized in the crowd.

"Without further ado, please let me introduce Rajeem and Prisha Singh!" the woman said and handed her microphone to the man. He stepped forward.

"Good evening! It is indeed my privilege and honor to share what I believe to be one of the most complete collections of Indian art celebrating sensual, sexual, and spiritual love." There was an increase of noise from the gathering, and he held up his hands for quiet with a grin. "Are you children?" he said playfully and received mild laughter from the crowd.

"It is quite fine to feel a little shocked and excited when you gaze upon such things. It shows you have a youthful spirit." He smiled and gestured for his wife to move to the velvet rope. "We will open the gallery, and in one hour we will present our latest addition to our collection. It will only be on display at the Met for one week before it's moving to its permanent home in the garden of our house in Connecticut. So please, enjoy!" With that, Prisha opened the rope, and the gallery was open.

As the guests moved forward, Rajeem and Prisha greeted them. Ben's group was one of the last to pass by the couple. Lawrence took the opportunity to chat with Hannah and Gabriella as they slowly moved forward and the ladies were quite enjoying themselves. Their delight increased when Ron Leopold arrived and invited himself to join them.

"Mr. Shepherd! How surprising to bump into you here!" Ron said.

"Did your agent send you an invite as well?" Ben asked, glancing at the slight annoyance on Lawrence's face.

The Australian sighed. "He's trying to get me to join his next superhero movie."

Ron feigned shock. "Whatever do you mean? I'm here as an art lover!"

Then it was their turn to greet their hosts. The two art collectors looked up at Ben and shock appeared on their faces. They seemed frozen, so Ben made the intros.

"Hi, I'm Ben Shepherd, and this is Gabriella Wallace, Hannah Cooper, and Sergeant Killcade." He gestured to the two actors waiting their turn. "These two probably need no introduction..." Ben stopped as he realized the Singh's hadn't stopped staring at him. "Do I have something on my face?" he asked quietly.

"Scars!" Prisha gasped, and Ben looked at her in surprise.

"A perfect match to the bronze!" Rajeem sighed.

Ben frowned. It was that damn Bronze Man statue once more. An eternal curse! Of course, these collectors would know about it.

His frown flared the scar bisecting his face, and this seemed to make the couple aware of their staring.

"My apologies Mr. Shepherd for our rude stares. We were not expecting to be graced by your presence at the unveiling," Rajeem gushed.

"You are most welcome! We are so thrilled to have you join us!" Prisha exclaimed and reached out to seize her husband's hand.

Ben settled down and smiled at the couple. "Thank you." With a nod, he moved into the room with the ladies following. Gabriella gave Hannah a troubled look, and Evelyn picked up this tension and looked to the brunette with a raised eyebrow. Gabriella just shook her head as she couldn't identify the source of her unease. The Sergeant slipped away to case the room.

The paintings were quite lovely, numerous, and as they'd been informed, most were of couples enjoying sex in various ways. The guests milled around talking about their favorite paintings but the bulk of the conversation centered on the large curtain at one corner of the room. There was a velvet rope at that location blocking the guests from getting close. Two museum guards also stood nearby to keep an eye on the guests.

After the hour had passed Ben found himself facing the Singhs once more.

"Would you do us the honor of standing up front with us for the unveiling?" Rajeem asked.

Ben was beginning to feel a little weird, but he followed them through the gathered people with Hannah and Gabriella at his heels. The Sergeant moved to the side of the room to keep an eye on the exits. She'd already evaluated all guests as non-hostiles.

Ben, the ladies, and the hosts stood off to the right side of the curtain as the museum curator returned with the microphone. She was listening to her earpiece, and a broad relieved smile came to her face. She looked over to the Singhs and nodded. The two grinned back at her. She turned to the gathering audience.

"Hello! Thank you again for attending tonight's event, and we hope you've enjoyed the works of art in this hall. We're about to do the unveiling of the centerpiece for the exhibition, but before we do, I've just been informed that the artists responsible for this creation have arrived in the building and are being guided up to join us momentarily. When the Singh's commissioned this piece, they offered to bring the artists to New York for its grand unveiling. Naturally, their flight was delayed." The audience chuckled.

There was a parting of the crowd at the entrance of the room as a distinguished looking gentleman with short hair and a close shaved beard guided a lovely blond woman forward.

"May I introduce Stephanie Murino and Richard Garrison!" the woman announced as the artists reached the front of the crowd and turned to bow to the group.

"Stephanie?" Gabriella gasped.

The blond woman's head turned in the direction of her cousin's voice, and she smiled. "Gabriella, is that you?"

The woman running the exhibition gave them an annoyed glance for interrupting.

Ben was frozen in confusion. He looked to Richard's surprised expression and saw something else there. Was it... guilt? Fear? He glanced to Stephanie, but she wasn't reacting as she didn't know he was there.

The woman in charge of the exhibition continued. "These wonderful artists are solely responsible for the piece about to be unveiled. Rajeem, Prasha, would you do the honors please?"

Ben looked to the excited expressions on the collector's faces, and something clicked in his memory about how they were so surprised to see his facial scars. He suddenly realized they weren't comparing them to the Bronze Man sculpture at Stephanie's B&B- The curtain dropped and his head whipped around.

Behind it was a full-size bronze sculpture of a bed. The 'sheets' on the bed were rippled and pushed down as if kicked aside. The attention to detail was incredible. But what was lying on the sheets had his complete attention. It was a life-size version of him, resting back, eyes closed, a slight smile on his lips as his head rested back on a pillow, his right hand behind his head, and his left arm across the mattress to allow his partner to snuggle in on that side. More explicit was the fact that the art displayed his semi-erect cock lying back against his stomach. It looked... like he'd just had sex and was relaxing in the afterglow. He could almost see the sculpture breathing deeply after the exertion. Once more, every muscle, scar, bump, was preserved in the durable metal and out there for everyone to see. The attention to detail was extreme- and horrifying!

There was a sound. There was a lot of sounds; gasps, clapping, cheers, and even laughter rang out. It was almost a wall of sound behind him. Above this, from close by, was something more familiar. Something was trying to get his attention. A voice with an urgent tone... saying his name. Soft hands were touching his face, trying to turn it away from the monstrosity sleeping in that cold metal bed. But he couldn't look away. His body was vibrating with the building of his rage. It filled his ears with a roar that drowned out all other sounds. He absently pushed the gentle hands away and moved closer to the sculpture.

How? How had Stephanie done this? He hadn't posed for- It struck Ben's mind like a shot of lightning, and he stumbled, bracing himself against the edge of the bed.

The sex. The night he'd had sex with her. She'd touched him before, during, and after their very energetic playtime. It was just how she saw but... she hadn't been just enjoying the feel of a man's body as she'd said. She'd been mapping him in her mind.

Someone grabbed Ben's arm roughly, and he tugged it free. Being touched after facing this monstrous invasion of his privacy was too much. Hands landed on him again, and this time he pushed the people away, sending the guards tumbling.

Ben turned to look at Stephanie whose expression showed her worry and guilt. She'd heard his name and Gabriella's tone. She knew she'd done wrong. He took a few steps towards her. Gabriella's voice cut through the buzzing in his head for just a moment, but it was enough to give him a moment of clarity. For the first time in his life, he was contemplating violence against a woman. That shook him to his core. Still, the rage was growing beyond his control. It was eating at him, looking for an escape. He needed to get away. Now!

He saw a door open a short distance away as an additional security officer burst into the hall. He launched himself in a dead run for the door, knocking the guard aside, and got to it before it closed. He just managed to snag the handle and pull himself through before slamming it shut from the other side. As a staff access door, only those with access cards would be getting through. The others were safe from him, but his anger just kept growing. He needed to get out!

He ran for the stairwell.

-=-

When Gabriella saw Stephanie and Richard step into the open space next to the curtain and bow to the guests, she'd automatically called out to her cousin who responded happily. The blonde's previous work with Richard hadn't been a positive experience for Ben, so Gabriella's immediate concern was determining if Stephanie had done something that might upset him. Stephanie hadn't mentioned to her any new work she was doing.

Then it was too late as the curtain dropped and she gasped in wonder. The sculpture was larger than anything Stephanie had ever done before, and it was stunning! It captured such a mesmerizing moment that she forgot to breathe! She glanced at Ben, but he wasn't moving. He seemed as frozen as the bronze statue before him. She touched his arm and felt the tension in his muscles. He was beginning to shake, and her worry deepened. She called his name, but he seemed to be deaf to her words. She couldn't make him look away. That was frightening!

When he pulled away to get closer to the art, she watched him carefully. His body was twitching, and his changing emotions flashed across his face- he was losing control! After he tossed the guards aside like they were rag dolls, Ben turned to approach Stephanie and Gabriella yelled to him. That finally seemed to get through.

She caught his expression of sick dread then he was running. He dashed away so fast and slipped through the staff only exit which the Sergeant reached seconds after it locked. She began yelling for someone to get her an access key.

After the stunned silence, the room erupted in chaos as the staff ran to the three security team members who were down.

Additional security arrived and began directing the guests to leave.

Rajeem and Prasha were clinging to each other and yelling angrily at Stephanie and Richard about Ben's reaction.

Hannah's hand landed on Gabriella's arm drawing her attention back. "We need to help Ben, now!"

This focused Gabriella's mind, and she nodded. She approached the woman with the microphone and leaned in to speak with her. The woman leaned back slightly in surprise as Gabriella invaded her space.

Hannah moved closer and saw Gabriella's left hand slip behind her back with an access card in her fingers. Hannah grinned as she plucked it from Gabriella's fingers and immediately rushed it over to the Sergeant. That woman accepted it and was through the open door in seconds. The hospital administrator prayed the soldier would be able to catch up to Ben who had a significant head start.

-=-

Ben was leaping down the stairs three at a time in his haste to put distance between his rage and the reason for it. He reached the bottom and saw double doors to his left, so he charged them and crashed through. He was in a loading dock which currently hosted three large black SUV's and roughly a dozen grim looking men.

Four of those men were close by and stared at him incredulously.

"Holy Shit! It's him! He fuckin' came to us! Get him- Alive!" one of the four yelled to the others.

The men rushed at him, and Ben finally had an outlet for his rage. They came in swinging and Ben hammered the first one in the jaw, putting him down for the count. The next two leapt on him so he gave them a shove and they fell off the loading dock to the floor below. Their landing wasn't graceful, so they weren't going to come back after him. The fourth man was pulling something from under his jacket, so Ben slapped it away with his right hand and followed through with a left fist to the man's solar plexus. He collapsed to the floor gasping for breath. Four more were charging up the stairs, so Ben ran at them, roaring his frustration and anger. The first one on the stairs was unnerved and paused, causing the others to collide into his back. Then they were all crashing backward as Ben leapt on the first one, fists swinging. They all hit the floor in a pile as Ben continued to slam his fists into anyone who fought back.

Ben took a couple of solid hits when the remaining men by the cars rushed forward and joined in. He took some kicks to his ribs and one glancing kick to his head before he managed to get to his feet.

He still felt his rage going off the rails, so he slammed his fist into the chin of the man who kicked him in the head and teeth cracked. A big fist hit him on the temple, but he deflected the next punch and hammered the man in the gut.

"Back off!" a voice yelled, and Ben's opponents stumbled back from him as he looked for his next target.

There was a loud snap and crackling behind Ben as current arced through his body, the stun gun taking him into oblivion.

He was out when they dragged his body into the back of one of the SUV's and drove away quickly, leaving behind the two Ben knocked from the loading bay platform.

Unseen to his fleeing assailants, a leather-clad motorcyclist slipped in behind them to follow.

-=-

Evelyn rushed into the loading bay as the SUV's peeled away. She'd never be able to catch them, but they left behind two of their people. One seemed to be moving slightly. She leapt down from the upper platform and drew a blade.

This one was going to tell her what she needed to know.

Chapter 15

Ben surfaced slowly, and the first sense that returned was smell. His nose picked up the sharp and strong scent of gasoline all around him. He coughed and felt his ribs complain. They must have worked him over a little more while he was out as the pain didn't line up with the beating he recalled taking in the loading bay.

There was one good thing; his rage was gone. He felt clear headed... as long as he kept his thoughts away from his discovery at the museum. He pulled his mind back from his thoughts and concentrated on the now. He opened his eyes slowly. The left one was slightly puffy so it didn't fully open.

"He's awake. Stevie, go call Mr. Solerno." Footsteps rushed away.

Ben glanced towards the voice and saw an unfamiliar face. He wasn't one of the men from the loading bay.

Then Ben noticed that he was naked and chained to a bed. The smell of gasoline was because the mattress was soaked in it. That wasn't good. He glanced around and saw the room's walls had been splashed with the stuff too. It felt like an old, tired hotel room. That's probably what it was. Outside of that, Ben had no idea where he was.

"Feeling up to answering some questions now?" the man standing next to the bed asked.

"Now that I've been tenderized by your men, you mean? Or are you referring to the gas-soaked bed I'm chained to?" Ben returned.

The man smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. Rainor had eyes like his. "Whichever one gives you a greater incentive to be talkative."

"Can I have your name?" Ben asked.

The man paused, then nodded. "You can call me Julian."

"Call me Ben."

Julian snorted quietly at their gentle manners. "Ok, Ben. Where's the money Rainor Hahn stole from Don Solerno?"

Ben watched the man. He seemed ultimately confident that Ben had this knowledge. How? "What leads you to the idea that I know?" Ben asked.

Julian seemed to be weighing the value in disclosing this. The man's eyes dipped to look at the bed, so it was pretty clear to Ben that he believed Ben wasn't going to leave this room alive. There was little difference in telling the truth.

"We know you took possession of his apartment contents at the shipping container yard in San Francisco. We have people there."

"Damn! Mike finked me out?" Ben sighed and saw the tightening around Julian's eyes.

"So... you work for the mob boss? Agent Montrose mentioned him when she took Rainor's files on his transactions with Solerno."

Julian's expression went cold. "The Feds have records of the transactions?"

Ben looked at the man. "Yes... Rainor kept meticulous notes. Not that I had any interest in the files recording his illegal income stream. All of that went to the FBI."

Julian was not happy. Maybe he was now realizing the extent of his boss's fall from grace in the family. He shook his head. "Where's the money?"

"Agent Montrose told me Don Solerno was doing a transaction with the other families. Is he in trouble with them as well as the Feds?" Ben asked and saw Julian's lip curl in anger before he forced it back behind his neutral mask.

"The money!" Julian snapped.

"I can tell you this. Setting me on fire will ensure you won't get it." Ben said calmly.

Julian's eyes bore into Ben's. "And why should I believe that?"

Ben shrugged as best he could. "Because Rainor completed the transactions before he died. He hadn't filed the paperwork, so they weren't in the cabinet the FBI collected in San Francisco. They won't know where the money went. Not from the files they collected at least. Rainor's unfiled paperwork, including the receipts, was couriered to me months ago by the lawyer in Sydney. I saw the money was used to buy property in seven different cities around the world. It's prime real estate. Those deeds are now in my name. If I die, that gets divided amongst the beneficiaries of my estate, and there are so many now."

Julian's jaw was jumping as he ground his teeth. He didn't want to, but he believed the big guy chained to the bed. Enough of what he said matched up with the information his people were reporting. He stomped away to stand before the dirty window, staring into the darkness outside.

Ben looked to the three guards in the room who were all watching Julian with various levels of nervousness. They cast uncomfortable glances at him as well, and at least one bore the marks of his fighting back.

Julian suddenly spun in frustration. "Where the fuck is Stevie?" he barked, and the men jumped. Then all eyes turned to the doorway as the man in question stepped into view. Or rather, was carried into view as his slit throat meant he was quite dead.

A hand holding a gun with a silencer poked out between the dead man's arm and body. The first bullets struck Julian's throat, and he pitched back and through the shattering window. The remaining three guards caught rounds in the chest and fell before they could get their guns clear.

After a moment of silence, the dead body in the doorway was allowed to drop forward.

Ben lifted his head to see a tall stunning brunette dressed in leathers standing in the hall. She stepped inside and went to the three dead men to check their pockets. She found keys and walked over to the bed to let her eyes roam over Ben's naked body with delighted interest.

"Hello, Mr. Shepherd. Did you receive my package?" she said with a coy smile on her lovely lips.

Tonight, Ben had been pushed beyond his ability to be embarrassed. "Hello, Ms. Pushkin. I did, thank you. But you gave me no means to contact you to let you know Liliya also left me no way to contact her."

Tatiana pouted, and it looked adorable on her.

"Uh, could you get these chains off of me?" he asked.

Her grin turned wicked. "But there are so many fun things we could do like this!"

Ben frowned. "The bed is soaked in gasoline."

She made another pout then nodded. She used the keys to undo the shackles on his ankles then spun to face the door as the ripping sound of automatic weapons fire could be heard. She tossed the keys onto Ben's chest. "I'll be back," she said then sprinted to the door and slipped away.

He held in his growl of frustration as he listened to the noise of gunfire approaching. They gradually became quieter then petered out. He'd heard a few choked off screams.

Ben waited for Tatiana to return, but she didn't.

A man suddenly rushed into the room pointing his gun in all directions before settling on Ben. The man had blood splatter on him, but it didn't look like he'd been shot or stabbed himself. He was twitching in his panic.

"You ok?" Ben asked carefully.

"Are you with them?" the man hissed. "The fucking ninjas!"

Ben blinked at him. "I'm chained to a bed! I'm not with anyone!"

This answer seemed to piss off the nervous man. He pointed his gun at Ben's groin. "So I guess it won't matter if I shoot you in the balls."

The knife thrown from the window sank point first through his eye. He twitched twice then fell dead.

Ben craned his neck to see who his savior was now. The Sergeant appeared next to the bed. "Are you injured- critically, I mean?"

"No, please undo the cuffs," he grumbled. Then he realized something. "You came in through the window?" he asked.

"Yes." Evelyn scooped the keys from his chest and released Ben's wrists. Then she helped him off the bed to minimize his contact with the gasoline-soaked mattress. He still smelled of gas, and he wrinkled his nose.

Ben went to the window to get some fresh air. Glancing down he was shocked to see there was no fire escape and they had to be at least ten stories up. He looked back to the Sergeant who was extracting her knife from the man's skull. "How?" he asked, pointing to the window.

"I free climbed the building. It's an older design, so it had good handholds. I found the body and glass on the ground and climbed straight up from there until I found the open window. It made sense that's where you'd be," she explained. She did her best to avoid looking at him.

He stared at her in surprise. Giving himself a little shake he looked for his clothes. He found them piled in the corner but they were saturated with gas. He pulled his wallet and keys from the wet clothes, but Evelyn had to carry them in one of her many pockets. He had no clothes, so no pockets. He spotted his cell, but someone had taken a hammer to it. He went to pick it up but immediately dropped it as it was red hot. The phone hit the floor and bounced up against the wall. The punctured lithium battery took that moment to jet flame. He jumped back as he still reeked of gas himself. The soaked wallpaper and carpet caught fire immediately.

The Sergeant grabbed Ben's arm and dragged him out the door as the fire raced around the perimeter of the room. They were halfway down the hall when the bed ignited with a terrible roar and thump. The fire exploded out into the hallway and ignited the dried out materials there. As they made it to the stairwell, the fire was rushing up the corridor. They ducked inside and ran down the stairs. As they reached the fourth floor, Ben picked up the sounds of gunshots. Just occasional single shots. When they arrived on the ground floor, Ben looked up the stairwell and could see flames. He wasn't sure if they were coming down the stairwell, but he could almost hear their hungry roar. Getting out of the building soon would be an excellent idea.

They left the stairwell with the Sergeant leading the way down the hallway slowly. Ben kept an eye open for something he could wear.

They reached a door which led to a ballroom according to an old sign on the wall. Ben heard voices inside. He grabbed the Sergeant's shoulder.

"I think Liliya and Tatiana are inside. Don't shoot them, please."

Evelyn looked him in the eye. "What if they shoot at you?"

Ben shook his head. "They won't."

She didn't look convinced, but she nodded. "I'm going to check to see if there are any more hired guns outside. Please stay here!" He nodded, and she was gone. He marveled at how stealthy she could be.

Angry shouts rang out behind the doors. Ben frowned and moved to the entrance. He took a deep breath.

"Liliya! Tatiana! It's Ben Shepherd! I'm coming in so please don't shoot me!"

"NO! Ben! Don't come in! Tatiana will kill you!" Liliya yelled back.

He slowly pushed through the double doors. "She already had her chance to do that earlier when I was chained to a bed upstairs. She didn't do it then, and I hope I read her intentions correctly. Listen, we need to leave the building. It's on fire!"

"Why are you still naked?" Liliya asked.

"The assholes soaked my clothes in gas. That's not important. We have to leave, now!"

"You don't understand! Tatiana will kill us! For Rose to live, she must die!"

"I don't want to kill Rose or you or Ben! All I want is to live!" the brunette called out.

"I read the file! You killed him! You'll kill her father, but you won't kill her? I don't believe you!" Liliya cried.

"I didn't know the target was your husband! The Colonel didn't tell me, and afterward, he used it as another way to control me!" Tatiana shouted.

Ben understood now. Liliya wanted revenge for her husband's death. He had to get her past that.

There were stacks of tables and chairs on both sides of the room. Ben assumed they were hiding behind those. He walked directly into the middle of the room. "Liliya, did you get to choose your targets?"

She was quiet for a moment. "No."

"So what makes you think Tatiana did? I'm sorry your husband was targeted but didn't the Colonel expect you to kill him once you got what you needed from him? I don't know anything about what you went through in your life, and I wouldn't tell you what to feel, but I can tell you that right now, you're able to make your own decisions, but you're making the wrong ones. Rose needs her mother. You need to be with her, not hunting a woman who was in the same situation you were back then." He looked in the opposite direction. "Tatiana, please don't prove you're what she says you are. You both need to stop shooting and start living your lives how you want to live them! That starts with getting out of this burning building! Please!"

Tatiana slowly stepped out from behind some curtains by the windows. She cautiously approached Ben with a nervous smile on her face. Ben suddenly realized how brave she was being. Seconds later a closet door opened and Liliya stepped out. Her eyes were a little red, but she stiffly walked to join them in the middle of the room.

"I thought you two were behind the tables," Ben admitted.

Liliya snorted, and a smile began to appear on her lips. "You are no assassin." Ben nodded with a slight smile.

Tatiana looked into Liliya's eyes. "I am deeply sorry for killing your husband. I am eternally grateful that you killed the Colonel and got our files away from them."

Liliya nodded. "The files are destroyed. Only we remain of our team."

Tatiana grinned and glanced at Ben then back to Liliya. "I truly approve of your choice in associates!"

Liliya chuckled then both women froze.

"Drop the guns, ladies."

Ben looked to the entrance and saw a man flanked by two men with drawn guns. Tatiana and Liliya dropped their weapons and kicked them forward.

"And you would be Don Solerno?" Ben asked.

"Yeah, but why are you naked?" the man asked.

"Your men stripped me, chained me to a bed, and poured gas all over the mattress," Ben explained.

Don smiled. "That sounds like my boys. Where-"

"Dead. All of them," Ben said bluntly and Don's expression twisted. Still, he knew the man wasn't going to do anything until he got his money. "You're not having a good day but then, neither am I. Your bad time probably started when you first did business with Rainor Hahn. The man was a psychopath but a brilliant con man. You aren't the only one who fell victim to his plotting."

"Where's my money?" Solerno demanded.

"As I said to Julian before he went out the window, Rainor purchased big parcels of real estate in seven cities in seven countries around the world, but the deeds were in his name. Then he died, eaten by sharks I might add. The deeds are in my name as I inherited his estate."

Don was breathing hard as Ben was seriously pissing him off. The two women standing on either side of him were stunningly beautiful, and Ben's fit and strong naked body made the mob boss feel awkward and self-conscious about his own poor physical condition. Still, no one talked to him like this! "You gotta lotta balls-"

Liliya and Tatiana burst into giggles, and even Ben cracked a smile. Don glanced at his men and saw them quickly controlling their expressions.

"If I had clothes, I'd wear them, but your boys took care of that. Speaking of which, have you noticed the building is on fire? That mess they made with the gas upstairs caught on fire and the top floors are gone by now. We really should get out before it collapses on us."

"You're going to sign those deeds over to me," Solerno growled as he moved closer.

"Not tonight, I'm not," Ben insisted. "Listen, if you shoot me, you lose any chance of getting them back. So I'm going to leave now." He took a step towards the door.

Don gave him a crooked smile. "I don't have to shoot you, Mr. Shepherd. Your story is all over the media. You have lots of pretty women all around you, children too. They'll make excellent targe- URK!"

He was unable to complete his threat as Ben lunged forward to wrap his fingers around the man's throat to lift him in the air. Liliya and Tatiana moved a split second later and sank knives into the throats of the two bodyguards who reacted to Ben's move and missed theirs. The women disarmed the guards and used their guns to put a slug in their skulls to hurry their deaths along. Then they took Don Solerno's weapons as he dangled in Ben's grip.

Ben looked deeply into the man's eyes. "You didn't get the point of those stories. No one threatens my family!" Don's eyes were beginning to bulge out from a lack of air. Ben threw him down, and he gasped in a breath and began choking and coughing.

Don looked at the dead bodies of his guards. He struggled to speak through his hoarse throat. "You- you have no idea... who you're fucking with. Five families pooled their money to make this happen. They won't just let you take it from them."

Ben glared at the man. It was true. Ben hadn't thought this far ahead. He'd gotten caught up with the potential good he could do with the money from the sale. He'd been telling people it was all a blue sky dream, but he should have been listening to his own words.

Lying on the floor before him, was one of the catalysts for the rot in society. The drugs and violence they introduced were the very traps his Foundation would be helping those kids escape. He sighed. "Don't you think our negotiations are going well?"

Tatiana burst into giggles once more. She looked to Liliya whose grin showed she was enjoying herself as well. "I like Ben!" the lovely brunette stage whispered to the blond.

Don snarled again and looked like he was going to stand when the ladies pointed their guns at him. Instead, he glared up at Ben. "I explained the purchase to the leaders of each family. That's four more people who are aware of the real estate you've stolen from us. You can't-"

A sudden burst of gunfire from close by increased in volume until it sounded like World War III was right outside the building. Stray bullets ripped through the windows and Ben grabbed the ladies and pulled them down to the floor.

Don took the opportunity to lunge to his feet and dash for the door. He almost made it but his head snapped back, and he crashed to the floor in a boneless heap.

"BEN!"

He stopped the two assassins from shooting the Sergeant as she crab walked into the room. "We have to go, now!" Evelyn called out.

Ben moved closer to the window and ripped off a section of the drapes. He wrapped the ragged strip of fabric around his waist like a rough kilt then followed the others out into the hallway. He smelled smoke.

"We need to get outside and away from the building. The top half is on fire, and it's going to come crashing down soon!" the Sergeant explained. They ran through the lobby, peeked out the doors, then slipped outside. Evelyn guided them to the side, away from the shooting, then they sprinted across the lane and out into a darkened lot next to the burning building. They ducked down behind the rusty hulk of an old abandoned car.

The gunfire quickly diminished, and Ben saw army trucks surrounding black SUV's, two of which were on fire.

"I called for support before I climbed up to your window," Evelyn explained as they watched the soldiers moving between the cars. "When I went back outside these four SUV's pulled up. The people inside got out and started arguing with each other. My backup arrived and surrounded them. They opened fire on the army. Bad move."

Ambulances, fire trucks, and police cars were arriving, and the two assassins looked at each other. They nodded then Tatiana faced Ben and leaned in quickly to kiss him on the lips. "I will see you again, soon." Then she rushed off into the darkness as Ben watched her go in surprise. A short time later a motorcycle could be heard racing away.

The Sergeant looked uncomfortable about Tatiana's departure but looked to Ben. "We should go check in with my backup, now that they have things under control."

Ben nodded and followed the Sergeant back into the chaos of lights from the emergency vehicles. He saw not all of the mob had been killed in the hail of bullets. Paramedics had at least two people on gurneys.

They were suddenly surrounded by army personnel. Liliya let them take her weapons then lead her away. She smiled to ease Ben's upset expression. He looked at Evelyn, but she wouldn't look at him.

"This way," she said and led him to an armored limo. She opened the back door and gestured for Ben to enter with a stiff expression. He cautiously bent and stepped into the vehicle. She closed the door behind him, remaining outside.

Seated on the back seat was a broad-chested man with many bars of ribbons on his chest. Ben sat on the seat facing him.

"Mr. Shepherd, hello. I'm General Davis. Sergeant Killcade is my niece, and I've asked her to keep an eye on you," the man explained.

"She's been spying on me?" Ben exclaimed in surprise.

The man shook his head. "No, not at all. I merely asked her to ensure your protection. She's a highly skilled soldier!"

Ben nodded then his expression became cautious. "Why is a General in the US army keeping track of me?"

"My niece speaks very highly of you. Genius is the word she used, and she doesn't apply that term to anyone. She's brilliant in her own right, but she's not very comfortable interacting emotionally with people. When she gave you that honorific and I heard Captain Kendricks singing your praises, it caught my attention. When I heard from Agent Russo about the little treasure trove you brought back from Russia for the CIA, I knew it was time to get directly involved." He gestured out the window. "You seem to be a magnet for trouble. I want to assist you in deflecting that trouble."

Ben looked at the man cautiously. "Deflecting it? How exactly?"

Davis nodded. "Like Captain Kendricks did for you with those mercenaries. We can run interference between you and the mob families and keep an eye out for any further incursions from the Russians."

The man leaned forward slightly to look Ben in the eye. "We're aware of the diamond's Rainor Hahn purchased, and we're also aware of the deeds to the properties you inherited. We passed that information over to Agent Montrose of the FBI and, while she's pissed off with you, she has her evidence now." He gave Ben a grin as Ben's expression showed his unease at making the FBI upset with him.

The General continued. "As these rather considerable assets came from some of the worst criminal activity, there was some concern as to how they would be used. However, you have several excellent references. First, there's your actions. What little information that gets published about you proves you're a man of integrity and honor. Trust me when I say we did our homework on you and identified the truth from the smear campaigns. The second reference, which I in particular hold in high regard, came from Evelyn. As I've mentioned, she's not very comfortable with people, but her perception cuts through the bullshit. She's given you a positively glowing endorsement. She made it quite clear what kind of man you are. You protect those you love, and you're trying to make a positive difference in the lives of those less fortunate. Lastly, Captain Kendricks has been working with you for some time and backs up the other assessments of your character. With these endorsements, I have no issue with you retaining the assets. This also means your government has no issue."

Ben was feeling a little overwhelmed by this man's assurances. He felt a little off balance and worried he might make a poor judgment call. So, he just nodded his thanks and considered the offer. There were always two sides to every deal.

"What are your expectations for this support?" Ben asked. He knew the General wanted something. He wouldn't be offering this much for altruism.

Davis nodded with a smile on his face. "It comes back to Evelyn's assessment of your genius-"

"I'm not a genius! I just like puzzles. My brain is hungry for them," Ben insisted.

The General's smile widened. "Yes, puzzles that confound our best people for years, yet you solve in a day." He raised his hands in a placating gesture. "But have it your way. We won't call it genius." He fixed his eyes on Ben. "I'd like your assistance with some puzzles my team is struggling with."

"Weapons. You want me to work on weapon research. That's exactly why the Russians wanted to kidnap me!" Ben said in frustration.

"They already think you're doing it," Davis reasoned.

"But I'm not comfortable with the idea of inventing things that kill," Ben explained.

Davis leaned back and fixed his eye on Ben. "You know what happens to a soldier whose gun overheats or jams when he's in a firefight?" Davis asked.

Ben nodded. "He dies."

"Exactly. We get the weapon's manufacturer to design and build weapons to protect our soldiers and assets, yet these weapon's fail and at the worst possible times. Additionally, a soldier's pack contains everything he needs to survive, but they're damn heavy. That wears their strength down. Makes them less effective and people die. Patton was right. I don't want my people dying for their country. I want them to make the other guy die for his. I want to bring my people home safe and sound. You can help make this happen. There are so many ways you can help them. I'm not asking you to invent weapons. I'm asking you to keep our people alive and improve their conditions."

Ben leaned back and thought about that. The way the General was selling it, he could see merit in the argument, but he had to caution himself on that slippery slope. Still, the idea appealed. "If I begin working in Weapons design or whatever you call it, I become a true target for our enemies."

"I say again; they already believe you're working on weapons, so the threat hasn't changed. However, we can assist you at home. You still own the two houses at the entrance of Ashburn Court. You could sell them to us, and we'll set up a garrison to house a squad to protect the neighborhood," the General suggested. "It would be a pretty plush assignment for the Squads so we'd rotate them in."

Ben thought about that. He wasn't keen on selling the homes to the government. "What if I renovated one for you to rent. With the lot sizes, you'd likely only need one. I- I have plans for the other."

He shook his head as he listened to what he was saying. "I'm getting ahead of myself here. I may own a number of the homes, but that doesn't give me the right to force this on the others. I need to speak with my neighbors to see if they object."

General Davis nodded.

Ben frowned and took a deep breath. "I have another condition. The two Russian women; Liliya Sokolov and Tatiana Pushkin. I want their freedom guaranteed."

Davis balked. "I can't do that! They're assassins! They've murdered dozens of innocents!"

"They were slaves to that Russian Colonel. They had no choice but to follow orders. When the Colonel was killed, they earned their freedom. They deserve to be given a choice," Ben said firmly.

Davis fixed his eyes on Ben's and had a grim look on his face. "Keeping them out of jail means you'd be responsible for any further deaths they caused. The civilian authorities won't take orders from us." He thought for a moment. "It's questionable if I'll be able to arrange this. I'd have to deal with several government agencies. I know the CIA is interested in them. Agent Russo was almost salivating at the idea of recruiting them." The General frowned and considered his options. "I might be able to justify their freedom if I assign them to you as protection, but they'd also have to be willing to work with Agent Russo. That would get the CIA on board, and we'd need their support."

Ben considered the conditions they were placing on the women's freedom. He didn't feel like he had the right to be doing this, but if he didn't, he couldn't guarantee them some quality of life.

"If you agree to this, it means you'd be responsible for their conduct. You'd be their new leash! They can't have access to large sums of money as they can't be allowed to run. If they do, all bets are off, and they become targets," the General stated bluntly.

"Their options are jail or this?" Ben asked.

"Best I can do, and I still need to determine if I can arrange it," Davis said firmly.

Ben considered that. "Right." Ben nodded. He wondered if they'd find that acceptable. He hoped so as he wanted to get Liliya back with her daughter. "You have Liliya in custody. Would you be presenting the new deal to her?" The General nodded, and Ben nodded. "Tatiana told me she would see me again. If she does come back, I can let her know."

"So, we have a deal?" the General asked.

"Yes, but I still need buy-in from my neighbors. I can't make this decision for them," Ben said but the General nodded.

Ben slumped back against the seat. He was exhausted but suddenly jolted upright again. "Gabrielle and Hannah!"

"Your lady friends are fine. I'll get you back to your hotel. My people have been in contact with Ms. Wallace and Ms. Cooper. They know you're safe and they'll meet you there."

Ben slumped once more with a nod. The General opened his door, and Evelyn entered to hand Ben army pants, an army t-shirt, and boots. He looked at her in surprise. "Corporal Evans is almost your size," she replied to his unspoken question.

"Thank you! And please thank the Corporal for me as well!" he said.

She nodded then sat next to the General as the limo began to move. They looked out their windows to give Ben privacy while he put the clothes on.

Ben was too tired to have a conversation, so the drive to the hotel was quiet. As they pulled up to the front door, Ben shook the General's hand. "Thank you for the assist tonight."

"Looking forward to working with you!" the man said in return with a broad smile.

Ben smiled weakly and nodded.

When he was on the sidewalk with the Sergeant, they watched the limo pull away, and she handed him his wallet and keys. His hotel key was inside.

They walked inside and went directly to their rooms. He stopped Evelyn before she went inside hers.

"I want to thank you for going above and beyond for me tonight. You saved my life, probably more than once and I'm grateful!" She smiled and nodded, so he pulled her into a warm hug. She squeaked a little then her arms went around him too. Ben pulled back after a time, and she was a little slow on the release, but he didn't make a thing of it.

"Goodnight, Evelyn!"

"Goodnight... Ben."

The moment Ben stepped into his room Gabriella and Hannah were up and running towards him. He caught them against his chest and took turns kissing them.

Once they settled down a little, Gabriella pulled back and touched her nose. "Why do you smell like gas?"

Ben nodded as he smelled himself too. "The guys who grabbed me at the Museum took me to an abandoned hotel and chained me naked to a bed soaked with the stuff. I think they planned to set me on fire if they didn't get what they wanted."

The looks of horror on the two women's faces told Ben he should have kept that fact to himself. "Sorry! It didn't happen! Tatiana Pushkin and Evelyn saved me from that fate. They and Liliya Sokolov took care of the goons and got me out of the burning building."

"Burning building?!?" Hannah gasped.

Ben looked to her guiltily. "The room I was in caught on fire- but the Sergeant got me out and down to the lobby. Sorry, I'm making a mess of this explanation because I'm exhausted and sore from the beating." They squeaked again, and Ben closed his eyes in defeat. "I just need to shower and sleep, and I'll be better in the morning."

Ben next found himself between the two women in the shower as they gently washed his bruised body to remove the gas. While Gabriella had shared a shower with Catherine and him, he was stunned by Hannah's boldness. He hissed quietly as her hand moved over his sore ribs.

"Sorry!" she whispered, and he shook his head.

They finished up, dried off, and made their way into the bedroom, none wearing any clothes. He looked to the two women who were making no moves to leave. "Join me tonight?" he asked gently and received timid smiles.

They climbed under the sheets of the big king bed with Ben in the middle. He stifled his groans as their settling in next to him pressed on his bruises. He relaxed with a quiet sigh of relief once they were done. He never in a million years thought he'd find himself between these two women in bed, but he was in no state to enjoy it.

Pushing naughty thoughts aside, he let sleep take him quickly.

Chapter 16

Hannah was gone when Ben woke the following morning and Gabriella was leaning up on one elbow to gaze down at his face. Her expression caught him by surprise as she looked sad.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I'm so sorry about what Stephanie did to you. I had no idea what she was planning when we visited them in France."

"I never thought you did," he replied quietly. He squirmed as he recalled the anger he felt and how it almost boiled over into violence against the blind artist. Shame washed over him.

"What was that?" Gabriella asked, watching his expression carefully.

His eyes turned away. "I'm so sorry! I was just so angry! What I almost did to her... sickens me. I'm not who I thought I was."

Gabriella moved to rest on his chest so she could look into his eyes. "Ben, you didn't do anything-"

"Because you stopped me! If you hadn't called out..." Ben's mind flashed the terrible images of what he might have done, and he was off the bed and running for the bathroom. He barely managed to reach the toilet before his stomach heaved. He clung to the bowl as his body curled and squeezed everything from his stomach.

A cool, damp facecloth refreshed his face, and he wearily glanced up to see Gabriella's loving green eyes. "This is why I know you're a good man. Even the idea of hurting a woman makes you ill. Yes, Stephanie did something unthinkably selfish and cruel to you. It's natural for you to be angry, even to the levels you reached last night, but I don't believe for a second that you would have acted on the violence in your mind."

Ben looked at her sadly. "I wish I had your confidence."

"I hate what she's done, and I hate what it did to you, but I can't find it in me to hate the art itself. It's beautiful, powerful, and I've never seen a more provocative sculpture. I can't deny her skill as an artist."

Ben nodded slowly then looked into her eyes. "Do you understand that I'll never speak to her again? The magnitude of her betrayal derails my thoughts and takes my mind to the darkest places. I can't let it go there. What she and Richard did must have repercussions. I won't visit Saint Pierre d'Albigny again."

Gabriella wiped tears from her eyes and nodded. "Yes, I understand. They asked last night if they could apologize to you this morning-" Ben shook his head sharply. "I'll let them know that won't be possible. Again, I'm sorry."

He held up his hand to stop her. "This isn't your fault, and I'm not accepting any apologies from you for her. Just let that go."

Ben stood, brushed his teeth, and used mouthwash before he felt human again. He looked to Gabriella. "Hannah surprised me last night."

Gabriella gave him a small smile. "You'd given us both a terrible fright. We were both a little needy. It was enough to override our natural self-consciousness. Neither of us is sexually attracted to women." She paused. "Aside from Catherine for me of course, but that's more love than sexual desire." She smiled thinking of the blond. "That said, this morning Hannah was gone when I woke up. She left a note for us to call her when we were ready for breakfast."

"Let's not make her wait then," Ben said.

Gabriella gave Ben a hopeful smile as she gently tugged his hand to lead him to the big shower. "She can wait a little longer."

-=-

Hannah touched up her lipstick as she gave Ben an annoyed look. Truthfully, her body was tingling with warmth ever since the big man swept her into his arms and took his kiss after they met in the restaurant. She saw Gabriella was all grins and more than a few customers were openly gawking at them. She could almost hear their whispering.

"You naughty man!" she scolded him gently, and he just looked at her with admiration, sending more warm tingles through her. Her cheeks pinked up, and she concentrated on anything other than the hunky man watching her.

The waitress arrived, and she ordered coffee, Gabriella ordered tea and Ben, fresh squeezed orange juice.

Evelyn was strategically positioned to watch over them and had already eaten so she wouldn't be joining them. After the events of the night before she felt the additional precaution was warranted. Ben wasn't going to argue with her as this was her area of expertise.

Hannah had a newspaper with her as she typically used this time to catch up. She saw Ben's eyes lock onto the cover as his expression froze.

"May I?" he asked, his voice tight. She nodded.

He unfolded the paper, and the front-page story was reporting on the death of five crime family leaders. There were pictures of the five and most must have been in their fifties or sixties.

"It was an eventful night last night!" Hannah ventured as Ben read the story, but he didn't immediately respond. She looked over to Gabriella who shared a concerned look.

Shortly he finished reading and looked towards the windows with a worried expression.

"What is it, Ben?" Hannah asked gently.

This seemed to bring him back to the now, and he looked to her then Gabriella. He looked around to confirm no one else was close enough to overhear. Then he leaned closer to the two women. They leaned closer as well. "The, uh, guys who kidnapped me last night? They were goons of one of the five crime families mentioned in this story. The Sergeant took out the leader. He'd threatened to come after people I love. The other four arrived outside just before the army arrived and surrounded them. This was the backup the Sergeant called for. There was a firefight, and most of the criminals were killed. Hell, they were decimated. I saw ambulances taking a woman and a man from two different SUV's. The story says two of the leaders survived the gunfight but died later in the hospital, one from a heart attack and the other from a massive stroke."

"Why would the mob kidnap you?" Hannah gasped.

Ben frowned. "More fallout from Rainor Hahn. He was doing business with them. They learned I inherited Rainor's estate. He owed them some real estate he bought with their money. After last night, I'm not sure if there's anyone left who knows about the deal."

"Is that why the story in the paper made you worried?" Gabriella asked.

He nodded. Until he'd spoken to Tatiana, he didn't feel like he could explain that he'd made a deal with a US General to be responsible for her activities... or she would be going to jail... if they could catch her. "It's probably nothing. I do want you two to know that I'll be calling a neighborhood meeting when we get back. There might be some changes coming that I need everyone's agreement on as it would impact everyone on Ashburn Court."

"Can't you tell us now?" Hannah asked.

Ben shook his head sadly. "Some of the details aren't worked out yet, and I'd feel more comfortable explaining the complete deal to everyone at once."

"Is it bad news or good news?" Hannah pushed and got a frown from Gabriella who was willing to wait.

Ben smiled gently. "Good and bad are subjective. I believe it could be good. Others may not think so."

Hannah pouted.

"Let's just enjoy breakfast. We have a flight to catch this morning." He looked to Gabriella. "You're coming with us, yes?"

"Yes!" she said with a smile. "It'll be good to be home!"

Ben hoped she felt the same way after he described the potential changes to the neighborhood.

-=-

It took three days to arrange to have everyone meet in the court's park in a large tent Ben rented. He also rented bouncy castles and slides for the kids. Sergeant Killcade and four volunteers from the local army base were keeping an eye on the kids.

Picnic tables were rented and set up for dinner afterward. Ben arranged dinner as well.

While Ashburn Court 1 and 2 remained empty, Ben had a full house from every other resident.

Sara and Jayden King (from 6) were with Karen and Penny and Rain (from 12). Penny's boyfriend Frank was there as well, as a non-voting guest. They picked the last row of seats and Ben caught Rain's eye roll as she moved forward a row to sit with the Hernandez family and escape the frisky behavior of the young ones.

Luis and Jaclyn Hernandez (from 3) were with their son Ramon, his wife Bianca and her mother Rita Rojas (from 11). Ben was so pleased that he was able to assist the young couple. As Walter's practice was going to be growing soon and Ramon was a paralegal, Ben was going to suggest that he might consider applying for a position in Walter's firm.

Sitting just ahead of them were Dominic and Sophia Sellini (from 9) and their son Marcus and his wife Eve (from 4). If he got buy-in from everyone, Ben would speak with Dominic about rebuilding the two empty homes.

Jacob and Emma Brown (from 5) with their two daughters Natalie and Victoria who worked in the daycare, were conversing with Daphne and her daughters Lisa and Lori (from 10). Daphne's vote was going to be critical for Ben as her new business might be affected the most. He wasn't going to risk her future. On the flip side of that coin, his new foundation was going to need daycare operations at every office. He would be modeling them after Daphne's business if she was amenable to the idea. Lisa and Lori's childhood lesson plans would help the kids in these new daycare centers.

Just forward of the McKellans, Hannah (from 7) sat next to Beth Wilson (from 14), and Trish and Lily (from 8). Hannah was already aware of her role in the foundation, but Ben hadn't yet mentioned to Trish that he wanted her as his marketing director. He hoped she wouldn't feel pressured into it.

Next came Catherine and Chanel (from 15) and Cat's three daughters, Sophie, Rachel and Megan sitting with Gabriella (from 17). Cat would be playing a huge role in his foundation, and Ben was considering offering a position to Chanel if she were so inclined.

Right up front, Ashley Beaumont (from 13) held her youngest in her arms as she talked with Tina and Lucy (from his place, 16) who were also holding their babies. Their smiles were the widest.

Every home on the court was being represented by the adults living there.

Ben moved to the front and smiled at the gathering of his family and friends. They smiled at him in return, and he saw the curiosity on their faces.

He'd had many calls with General Davis in the past few days, working out a definitive plan. The CIA was onboard with it, and more importantly for Ben, Liliya had agreed to the offer the General made to her. She'd hopefully be coming home to see Rose soon.

He hadn't heard from Tatiana and was wondering if he would. He pushed that from his mind and gave his full attention to his friends before him.

"Thank you all for taking time out of your busy lives to meet with me tonight. I know it was short notice, but I truly appreciate it," he began and received smiles and nods from the group, so he continued.

"As you may be aware, I've been doing some engineering work with the US Army. This recently led to a Colonel in the Russian Military attempting to kidnap me so I would work for them. He believed I was working on weapons design and he wasn't willing to listen when I said I wasn't. He passed along his belief to his superiors."

There were some unsettled noises from his audience, and he smiled as he raised a hand. "Obviously, his attempt failed. As that was happening, there was a threat to the neighborhood by mercenaries sent by a corrupt Russian industrialist working with the Colonel. My friends in the US Military sent a team to protect Ashburn Court, and they did." Seeing the unease in some eyes, he did his best to calm them. "The Russian Colonel and the Industrialist were both killed during my extraction, so the threat from them is over. Trish can confirm that."

Eyes turned to the redhead who nodded seriously.

"I've recently experienced a number of... complications, all due to the inheritance I received from Rainor Hahn's estate. He was a bad man and did business with even worse people. In New York, I was grabbed by criminals who were robbed by Rainor. During my extraction from that mess, the criminals didn't survive. Once more I was assisted by the US Military." He sighed as he looked into the shocked and worried expressions. He held up his hands, and the group settled.

"There's a senior officer in the Army, General Davis, who's taken notice of the work I've been doing with Captain Kendricks and has supported our community and myself during these events. He's asked me to work on some projects for him. Not specifically designing weapons but potentially helping with engineering issues they have with them."

"Won't that just make you a bigger target for the Russians?" Dominic asked.

Ben nodded. "Maybe, but they already believe I am working on this stuff." Dominic sat back as he thought about that.

"Are we going to see more attacks on the neighborhood?" Chanel asked as she took Catherine's hand.

"I've been told that's highly unlikely. That said, the General has a plan to increase our protection, making further attempts much less likely. I told him I wouldn't consider anything until I spoke with all of you and got your acceptance of it," Ben insisted.

"Is he going to put a wall around us?" Jayden called out.

Sara looked at her brother in frustration. "There already is a wall around the community, separating the properties from the woods!"

Jayden looked embarrassed as he'd forgotten. "Right, but that doesn't go all the way around. There's still the road and the public access way next to Ben's place. Are they going to put gates there?"

Ben shook his head. "There will be no cosmetic changes to the neighborhood. There's no need to turn it into a fortress. That draws attention and makes us all feel contained. No, the plan is only to renovate one of the houses, 1 Ashburn Court, to house a squad or two of soldiers so they can be on site in case of need. This allows them a much faster response time. Sergeant Killcade is living in the home I renovated for Karen and Penny. She keeps tabs on the East side of the court. The soldiers in 1 Ashburn Court would keep watch over the West entrance. They'd run patrols at night through the woods as training exercises and keep watch on the traffic moving into the court. Like a Neighborhood Watch, but with teeth."

"Is there going to be armed soldiers walking around the court?" Daphne asked.

"No. I made that very clear. We wouldn't accept a visible military presence. I mean, except for the night exercises in the woods which we wouldn't see anyway. The court has to remain as it is, but having protection close by isn't a bad thing."

He watched their faces as they considered his words. He didn't see any real opposition so far. He still had another item to bring up.

"I'll also be renovating 2 Ashburn court to host Liliya and Rose Sokolov. Potentially, Tatiana Pushkin as well, if she comes in from the cold," Ben said with a small smile.

"I assume Liliya is Rose's mother but who is this Tatiana Pushkin?" Daphne asked.

Ben nodded to Daphne confirming her assumption about Liliya. "Tatiana is, was a... colleague of Liliya..." Ben stopped as he realized he had to be honest with his friends. "They were both trained to be assassins by the Colonel who tried to kidnap me. Both confessed that they had no choice but to work with him. That said, they were both highly successful in their work."

"Why are they coming here?" Ashley gasped in shock.

"Now that the Colonel and the Russian military are no longer controlling them, they've come here to be free. However, the General couldn't just forgive them for all the people they assassinated while working for the Colonel." Ben took a deep breath as this is where his explanation might upset some. "I made it a condition for working with the General that Liliya and Tatiana remain free and have the option of working for me as personal security."

"What?!?" Chanel snapped, surging to her feet. "You can't be serious!"

Ben expected this response and assumed it would be the police officer in their midst who would have the most difficulty accepting professional killers into their community. She was going to be the hardest sell.

He nodded. "This wasn't an occupation they chose. It was a case of becoming skilled at their new line of work or dying. They survived. Liliya fell in love with one of her targets, married him and had a child. She tried to keep that a secret. The Colonel sent in Tatiana to kill Liliya's husband without telling her who he was to Liliya. He used that to control Tatiana. Then he took Rose as a means to control Liliya. Neither had any say in their destinies." He sighed. "The Colonel is dead. Liliya has her daughter and wants to be with her. Tatiana... just wants to live without looking over her shoulder for the rest of her life." He looked into the angry yet troubled eyes of the French beauty. "They just need a chance to have a normal life. As normal as it gets around here."

"They're killers!" Chanel hissed.

"So what they were forced to do defines who they are?" Ben asked and got a glare from the woman. Ben tried a different tack. "You've met Rose. She's the product of Liliya and her husband's love for each other. She's a sweet child who's full of love. She's Liliya's world. Doesn't that define who she is as well? What she did may be called evil, but I wouldn't be so quick to slap that label on the woman. I've seen the love she's capable of too."

Ben frowned as he looked down at his hands. He flexed his fingers as he recalled the feeling of squeezing them around the throat of the monster who tried to take Miriam. He would never deny that he'd enjoyed it. Taking the life of that predator had sent a wave of satisfaction through him. His eyes lifted and found Gabriella. He saw she understood his gesture. Her love for him never diminished in her lovely green eyes.

He looked back to Chanel. "I won't judge either of them as I've killed and I wasn't forced to do it-"

"To protect the innocent!" Gabriella exclaimed, unwilling to allow Ben to call himself a murderer.

The police officer shook her head. "What about this Tatiana?"

Ben sighed. He could see this was extremely difficult for Chanel as it went against her moral values and her offended sense of justice. "Again, I can't and won't judge her. I didn't have to live through what she did. To live, she killed people she was ordered to kill. In the process, she became highly skilled at it. In my limited experience with her, she saved my life in New York and spared Liliya's life, even though the woman was hunting her because she believed she had to protect Rose. She's shown remorse for killing Liliya's husband. I won't judge her, but I do believe everyone should be given a second chance." He saw a smile light up Ashley's face as his words matched her beliefs as well.

Catherine gently tugged on Chanel's hand until she was sitting once more.

Luis Hernandez chose that moment to ask his question. "Ben, you say you want our acceptance of these changes. You haven't explained what the alternative is. What if we cannot accept this?"

Ben nodded. "My situation has changed due to these external threats which aren't just going to go away. I should have worked harder to maintain my anonymity when it came to the engineering work I was doing. I caught the attention of people I shouldn't have. That said, I have no choice but to accept the General's plan. If it's not acceptable, I'll move out of the neighborhood. Set up a new estate outside of the city-"

"NO!" Trish, Gabriella, Catherine, and Hannah cried out, amongst other sounds of protest from the group before him. Ben held up his hands as he blinked in surprise. His audience was agitated now.

"If the plan the General and I worked out isn't acceptable to everyone gathered here, I have no choice but to move. I don't want to pressure anyone into accepting living conditions that make them uncomfortable."

Gabriella stood. "Ben, you're the glue that keeps this community together! When our husbands died in that plane crash, it was you who stepped up to make us face the truth that it wasn't our fault and to acknowledge we had each other to lean on for support. You helped some of us stay in our homes, supported our businesses, and ensured others got the education needed to succeed. You can't leave!"

"That's very kind of you to say, but it doesn't mean I get to dictate the terms for the neighborhood! Everyone gets a say." Ben argued.

Gabriella wasn't finished. She looked around at the gathering. "Is there anyone here who can honestly say their life hasn't been positively impacted by Ben in some way? Is there anyone who hasn't had their quality of life improved because of Ben's actions?"

She smiled as she saw agreement on so many faces. She concentrated on the very few who were hesitating, and the hold out was Chanel. Gabriella raised an eyebrow at the woman who frowned but finally nodded.

She turned back to Ben. "You're telling us the changes we will see, once this plan is in place, are negligible, but there will be a home on the street filled with people who will immediately respond to any danger we may face, should one surface?" Gabriella asked Ben.

He paused as he absorbed her words. "Yes."

The brunette looked back to the group. "Does anyone have an objection to this plan?"

"Are we seriously going to ignore the inclusion of killers in our community?" Chanel asked.

"Does that mean you want me to leave too?" Trish asserted. "I've taken a life."

"I've taken two," Catherine admitted gently. "And you took the life of Margaux-"

"You- you can't compare what I've- we've done to what they did!" Chanel exclaimed, staring in shock at her partner.

"Of course there are differences! But if you break it down, you have the act of killing, the circumstances which led to it, and the intentions. We've all done the act. For us, the circumstances were finding ourselves in life or death situations, and our intent was self-defense and protection. There is no moral ambiguity there. I believe we're being told that for the two women, their intent didn't matter, their moral position was irrelevant. They weren't given a choice. They had to create the deadly situations then survive them," Catherine said and looked to Ben who nodded his agreement.

"I'm sorry you were put in those positions. It's one of the worst things to have to do, but you weren't given a choice. The situations happened, and you did your best. For Liliya and Tatiana, due to their employer, it's largely the same." Ben asserted.

He saw Chanel was still shaken by Catherine's defense of the assassins. He hoped he hadn't damaged their relationship with this. He wished Cat hasn't mentioned Margaux as it had to be a point of sensitivity for Chanel.

"Can we get a vote on accepting the plan? A raise of hands for those who support it?" Gabriella asked.

Ben watched the hands go up, and it looked unanimous then Chanel stood once more.

"I will support this plan, but if I determine the assassins are becoming a danger to the residents, I'll take steps to have them put behind bars," she insisted.

Ben held her eyes and nodded. Chanel raised her hand.

"It's unanimous. Ben, please let the General know you can proceed," Gabriella said with a relieved smile.

Ben nodded as his throat was too tight with emotion to speak at the moment. When he finally forced the lump down, he addressed the group. "Thank you for your faith in me. I can't tell you how much it means to me!"

He took some deep breaths and nodded at the smiles from his friends. Tina and Lucy were beaming happily at him from the front row. "I do have another announcement I'd like to make while you're all gathered here." Curious expressions surfaced.

"As some of you know, my childhood... had some challenges. I got lost in the child welfare system, but I also had some good teachers along the way to helped direct me on a path to self-sufficiency. I got a good education and training in a field I was able to turn into a career. Recently, while we were in Beverly Hills, I met with two men working on a documentary about young people who were also lost in the system but were pulling themselves up from poverty to make a life for themselves. Phil DeMonte and his business partner Eric Thompson are going to make this film which will hopefully inspire others in the same situation. This planted a seed in my mind. I've been thinking about setting up a foundation to assist people in these circumstances. To help them dig their way out. They'll have to help themselves rise above the crap keeping them down, but I can assist them with the mundane things like ensuring they get education, training, counseling, medical and mental health support, daycare, housing... until they get on their feet."

"That's beautiful, but it sounds like a costly undertaking, Ben," Ashley said.

Ben nodded with a smile. "Due to Rainor Hahn's robbing criminals with his crooked deals and the inheritance Gretchen set up for me, I now have the means to pay for this dream. I'm currently the owner of large, multi-block plots of prime real estate in seven different cities; Berlin, Paris, Hong Kong, Singapore, Moscow, London, and New York City. The land is worth billions, but I don't know the exact amount yet. I'm selling most of the Moscow property to a friend of mine in Russia. If I open an office there, I won't be visiting it as I'm not exactly welcome in the country any longer." He gave Trish a small smile.

"Aside from Moscow, I intend to sell off most if not all of the property and build foundation centers in each of these cities or a more suitable location in each of these countries. Depending on the success of these, I may set up foundation offices in other cities."

The gathering was silent as everyone stared at Ben. That made him a little nervous, so he pushed ahead.

"I've spoken to some of you to get some preliminary guidance on how to set this up. I've also asked Catherine to head up the foundation. She's done an amazing job with her local charity, and I want to incorporate it into the offerings of the foundation." Chanel looked at Catherine in surprise. Ben was worried that Cat hadn't shared this information with her partner yet.

He looked to Daphne who was staring at him wide-eyed. "I'd like to model the daycare centers after yours and would like them to follow Lisa and Lori's early education programs. How it fits into the cultures of the different countries will be up to them to determine and adjust accordingly." The twins were thrilled by the prospect but Daphne looked like the slightest wind would blow her away.

He turned his attention to Dominic who was grinning excitedly. "We have some more discussions to have on building versus renovating in these cities, and I need to speak with your designer." Sophia was all grins as well.

Hannah was looking a little dazzled and Rain was almost bouncing on her chair with excitement. He nodded to them and their returned smiles warmed his heart.

Ben looked to Trish who squeaked. He chuckled as he smiled at her. "Would you consider being my Marketing Director for the foundation?"

"YES!" the redhead cried as tears began to flow and Ben struggled to keep his tears at bay.

He looked again at the gathering and smiled. "There are going to be plenty of opportunities, and it will take some time to get all the pieces in play. I ask that you keep the news of this venture under your hats as best you can. We don't even have a name for the foundation yet? The fact that it's being paid for with funds recovered from criminal activities may prove to be an issue too. Putting a spin on that will be one of Trish's first challenges."

"Why don't you call it the Shepherd's Crook Foundation?" Trish exclaimed with a huge grin and the group burst into laughter. As it tapered off, she could tell they were enjoying the pun in the name as their smiles remained.

Ben shook his head at the wide grin on Trish's face then turned to the others. "Thank you again for your patience and understanding. I believe dinner has arrived if you want to join me at the curb."

Dominic's face lit up. "You called the gourmet food trucks?" At Ben's nod, the big man cheered.

They made their way to the side of the park where a selection of food trucks waited to serve them. Everyone had a favorite, but the mobile kitchens were going to be there for hours, so seconds and thirds were allowed.

When the DJ showed up after dinner, it became their best block party yet.

Chapter 17

Ben dropped his weary bones in the lawn chair in his driveway and closed his eyes. He just needed a few minutes to rest and regroup. Kids had so much energy!

The sun felt good on his face as he listened to the sounds of the kids squealing and laughing in the park across the street. The laughter and happy conversations from the adults were equally sweet to his ears. He took some deep, soothing breaths and opened his eyes. Before him was Ashburn Court, in all its beauty. He felt it right down to the atomic level that this was his home and these happy people were his family. He realized how far he'd come from that young boy who'd lost his parents so long ago. He couldn't begin to understand how he'd become so fortunate.

He saw the sleek black limo pull slowly around the circular court and stop at his driveway. The rear door opened and General Davis stepped out with a smile on his face. Ben heaved himself up to his feet and shook the man's hand once the General walked up the driveway. Ben gestured to a second lawn chair, and they sat to gaze at the party happening in the park.

"This an annual event?" the General asked, and Ben nodded.

"How do the soldiers fit in? Any issues with your neighbors?" he asked.

Ben and Dominic had spent the winter designing, building, and outfitting 1 Ashburn Court to house two squads of soldiers. From the outside, it just looked like another of the lovely mansions found in the neighborhood if a bit larger than the others.

The inside was another story. The building had three stories plus a huge extended basement. The top floor was dedicated to the military's surveillance and communications equipment. The soundproofed mid-floor was for the sleep quarters for twenty-four, bathrooms for twelve with multi-jet showers, and the library lounge for quiet relaxation. The ground floor had offices, a top of the line kitchen with all the best equipment, washrooms for ten, and a dining room which seated thirty. The lower level contained a huge recreation room with state-of-the-art electronic entertainment and a gym. Commercial grade washers and dryers were in the next room. The basement extended out to the back yard with the armory and munitions storage there. There was also a ramp that led to a secret surface exit for rapid deployment.

The utility room, also in the basement, was another marvel of science and Ben had drawn on Dan Bishop's knowledge extensively for that.

The garage was large enough to house two armored personnel carriers to mobilize the squads if required. It also had an extensive workshop for maintaining their equipment. Upstairs were bunks for ten and another well appointed bathroom for six. The garage had a tunnel connecting it to the basement of the main house.

Because of the home's proximity to the main road, they were able to easily access all utilities from electrical, telecom, water and drains. The building required commercial connections which took some special zoning and permissions. General Davis assisted with that.

The squads moved in just a few months earlier and from what Ben heard they were very pleased. They'd dubbed the house The Spa.

True to their word, the soldiers were never seen bearing arms or wearing combat gear when they were out for a walk or jog around the neighborhood. Their nightly patrols were invisible for all intents and purposes.

"No one has complained at all. The squads are very well behaved!" Ben said with a smile.

Davis laughed and nodded. "They know better than to rock the boat. I get a report they misbehave here, the entire squad never gets invited back. They're self-policing. Every unit in the army and the navy wants an assignment at the Spa."

Ben chuckled. "So the name made it to your ears."

The General nodded. "Those pesky SEAL teams are applying pressure to get a chance to do training here too. I'm going to have to give in as I owe General Harris a favor." He looked a little peeved.

Ben nodded. "If the SEALs are as effective at capturing paparazzi as your teams are, I have no issues with them visiting."

The only threat that'd surfaced in the neighborhood since Ben received permission from his neighbors to bring in the army were three unscrupulous photographers hoping to get a picture of Ben in the nude. That brass monstrosity Ben met in New York was inspiring all kinds of silliness in the media. He pushed that unpleasant thought from his mind.

Davis just smiled as he knew the CIA was currently tracking the beginnings of a real threat to his favorite engineering genius. He kept that news and his opinion of Ben to himself.

"Is that why you're here or did you just want to join our Block Barbeque party?" Ben asked curiously.

"Both!" he grinned. "And I wanted to thank you personally for resolving the overheating issue with the automatic rifles! That was an ingenious solution that's going to save lives!"

Ben shook his head. "I'm just fulfilling my part of the deal. You keep us safe, and I work on your puzzles. It wasn't that much. The weapon has some seriously smart engineering behind it and did all of the other things it was designed for really well. It just had no means to deal with the excess heat it generated. I just found a way it could do that one last thing it needed to do."

General Davis smiled at Ben because it was so refreshing to speak with someone who wasn't trying to inflate his importance to impress him.

"Let me just say I'm grateful you did. I had to demonstrate your contribution to this weapon in front of a hostile audience of politicians who were angry with our involvement with the Brass God."

Ben's face fell. "The what?!?"

Davis winced. "So you haven't heard the public's name for that new full-sized statue of you? It's become quite the meme."

Ben rubbed his eyes in frustration. "No, I avoid that stuff. I no longer watch TV, and I don't browse entertainment sites."

The General smiled with satisfaction. "The good news is I was able to silence those blowhards with a simple demonstration. Two weapons, one standard issue M420 Assault Rifle all of our soldiers now carry and one with your modification, now called the M420B. Each was loaded with live rounds and fired at side by side targets. They were fired using the same rate of fire, and both were reloaded simultaneously when the clips were empty. By the sixth clip, the M420 locked up while the M420B went through four more clips before we ended the test. I had a Corporal, the sole survivor of his team due to weapons failure in a deadly firefight, explain the significance to those pencil pushers. You're already proving your worth! It felt so good to make those idiots shut up!"

Ben nodded as he thought about that Corporal. If he'd taken Kendrick's request to work on weapons earlier, he might have been able-

"Hey! Stop. I can tell what you're thinking by your expression. We can't change the past, but we can learn from it if we're willing to listen," Davis said kindly but firmly.

Ben looked into the man's eyes then looked away and nodded. "I get that."

They sat quietly for a moment, watching the party.

"Evelyn is happier than I've ever seen her," the proud uncle said.

Ben's smile returned. "She's indispensable and completely brilliant in her own right. She has savant level organizational skills," Ben gushed a little and caught the small knowing smile on the General's lips. "We're keeping things professional... except for moments when I forget myself and give her a hug... or a kiss- but that was only once! I mean since the first time."

"She's happy, and that smart brain of hers is occupied, so I'm happy!" His smile dimmed a little. "She has expressed some misgivings about the assassins moving into the neighborhood. Specifically Tatiana Pushkin."

"Are they going to be allowed to move into 2 Ashburn Court any time soon? We've been waiting for almost a year!" Ben growled.

"That was out of my hands!" Davis responded. "The CIA had the women in a debriefing for months. Then it was training. Both of the ladies agreed to work for the spooks when they aren't working for you. Aside from the CIA's control over their time, remember it took weeks before Tatiana surfaced and she did it in the lobby of their Langley Headquarters. That's when the mess with Tatiana's activities in New York began surfacing. According to the FBI, they believe she went after the surviving members of the Mafia crime families. She allegedly went on a one-woman killing spree until there was no one left in that family tree who had authority to order a sandwich much less a hit on you or your family!"

"Allegedly."

Davis saw the steely look in Ben's eyes and sighed. "Yes. The assassin who pulled off those hits left absolutely no evidence behind. Not a shred. Like a true ghost. With no evidence, the FBI had to finally back off. Agent Russo will be their handler for the CIA. You may be seeing more of her from time to time."

Ben nodded and sighed. "Rose misses her mom. The video calls are wonderful, but Rose needs her. She needs her Mom to hold her. To be real for her again."

The General nodded. "I'll check with Russo again once I get back to Washington."

"Ben! Food's ready! Come get your lunch!" Gabriella called out from the park. He waved to her.

"You going to join me for some delicious barbeque steak or chicken?" Ben asked with a smile.

Davis smiled. "I won't turn down such a delightful offer."

They walked down the drive, across the street, and joined the neighbors in the park.

Ben's kids rushed up to grab his legs.

"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" gushed from several mouths.

Davis noted that Rose was one of the children clinging to Ben's legs and his eyebrows went up in surprise. Ben caught this and leaned closer to the man. "She needs her Mom." Then he bent down to give the kids hugs and kisses until they squealed happily and ran away to be scooped up by the mothers. Rose looked back at Ben who was looking across the circular park with surprise on his face. Three stunning women were walking side by side towards the party. A group of soldiers who'd been tossing a football back and forth in the field paused their game to smile at the women who smiled back at them.

Ben knelt next to Rose who was trembling. "Rose, honey, go hug your momma. She's missed you so much." He gently touched her back.

The spell freezing her in place broke suddenly, and the girl ran as fast as her little legs could carry her in a straight line to the tall blond who ran forward as well. Liliya scooped Rose up in her arms and kissed her face repeatedly as she cried. Rose was crying too.

The two ladies following Liliya caught up to her. Something passed between the tall blonde and Agent Russo, the air seeming to crackle with suppressed anger and frustration. Then they all continued walking across the field.

Ben smiled as the group joined him at the edge of the party. The General joined them as well.

"Liliya, I'm so glad you're home. Your little girl has been wonderful, but she missed you as you can see." The woman had tears of joy rolling down her cheeks, so she wasn't able to do more than nod and smile to him.

He looked to the tall brunette. "Tatiana, welcome and thank you." She smirked and nodded.

Then Ben looked to their handler. "Agent Russo. Are they home or visiting?"

She smiled at the steel in his voice. She locked eyes with the man, unwilling to show weakness. "They're home. For a while at least. They've been busy, so we have to let the dust settle." She was determined not to be rattled by the big man.

Ben nodded and took her hand between his. "I'm not going to ask you what that means but know I'm grateful they're home," he said sincerely as he gently squeezed her hand.

The woman paused, unsure how to respond to his honest emotion for a moment, then her knowing smile was back in place. "Remember that gratitude. I may need it in the future." Her smile became coy as her words had a few interpretations. She nodded to the General then turned and headed back to her parked car. She waved at the soldiers on the way.

"Are you two ok?" Ben asked the two ladies in concern.

"Yes, but it's nice to hear someone ask us that sincerely," Tatiana said with a sweet smile for Ben.

"Did you have luggage?" he asked.

"They gave us small duffel bags. Russo left them with the soldiers in the first house on our way in," Liliya said.

Ben frowned. "That's not the home we renovated for you."

Liliya looked at him cautiously. "You renovated a home for us?" Her eyes slid to the General who remained silent.

Ben nodded. "Number 2 Ashburn Court has been redone from roof to basement. I took Rose for a tour in it just the other day." He playfully reached out to gently tug on her ear.

She burst into giggles. "Stop it, daddy!"

Liliya's expression froze, and Tatiana's eyes went very wide as she pinched her lips together to stifle her nervous laughter.

The mother's eyes locked on Ben's and he saw her fear, panic, and rage struggling to get free.

"Rose missed her Mom very much. One day she just started saying that. She didn't need any more instability in her life, and it's harmless, yes?" He held Liliya's eyes and saw her getting control once again. Suddenly, her emotions swung wildly to the other direction and gratitude overwhelmed her. She stepped closer to hug Ben with Rose still in her arms.

"I- I cannot thank you enough for protecting my precious little Rose!" She gasped against his shoulder as tears flowed once more.

"It was my pleasure. Rose is such a sweetie! And her ears are so tasty!" Ben said and pretended to eat the girl's ear before her mother's tears got her going again.

More squeals of laughter then a bold voice. "No daddy! No eating my ears!"

"But I'm hungry, and I haven't eaten anything!" Ben whined pitifully. Rose couldn't hold her frown at Ben's silly expression. A burst of giggles from her drew the other kids, excited to see what Ben was doing.

"OH GOOD! More EARS!" Ben grinned as he licked his lips happily. The kids shrieked in excitement and scampered off as Ben moved to follow.

Gabriella blocked him with a wry grin as she looked to the new arrivals. "Hi! I'm Gabriella Wallace, Ben's next door neighbor."

"I am Liliya Sokolov. This is my friend Tatiana Pushkin." They shook hands with her then Gabriella shook the General's hand.

"Nice to see you again, General Davis."

"You can call me Alex if I can call you Gabriella." The woman nodded with a wide smile, and he sighed happily. "It's always a pleasure to see you."

Gabriella turned back to Ben. "The food is ready, so have a seat. Everyone, please take a seat at one of the tables in the tent."

They followed her directions as the older kids collected the younger ones and got them into the tent as well. Rose wiggled in her mother's arms so she could join her friends. Liliya set her on her feet, and she went three steps away and turned to look nervously back at her mom. Ben put an arm around Liliya's shoulders and Rose relaxed and ran to the kiddie table.

"What have I done to my child?" Liliya said in dread.

Ben gave her shoulder a little squeeze. "Nothing that can't be repaired with a little attention and lots of cuddles." When she looked up at him curiously, he released her and took a step back. "I meant you and her!"

Tatiana snorted. "I think Liliya wouldn't be resistant to cuddling with Daddy too!"

Liliya sent her friend an annoyed look, but she didn't deny it.

Ben changed the subject by beginning to introduce the General and the two ladies to his neighbors and friends. Everyone was in good spirits and seemed pleased to meet their new neighbors.

"It's about time they let you live in the home we built for you!" Dominic gushed as he stood to shake their hands.

"I'm very eager to see this house!" Tatiana gushed.

"After lunch. I promise!" Ben smiled.

"You're the man responsible for building the Spa?" Davis said to the construction company owner.

Dominic nodded with a smile. "That was one of the more challenging construction projects we've had, but my team learned a lot from it. I'm proud of the result!"

"I'd like to pick your brain on some of the improvements you made," Davis said.

"Any time," Dominic replied with a grin. As he sat down next to Sophia, she was all smiles.

They slowly made their way to the middle of the tent, Ben stopping them to make introductions.

They met Chanel, Catherine, and her daughters. Hands were shook and Tatiana smiled at Chanel's grip.

"You are... a police officer?" the Russian brunette said to the French brunette.

Chanel's brow rose slightly as she nodded and released the hand.

Tatiana looked to Ben with a sly smile. "Two squads of soldiers and a member of the local police living in the neighborhood. I feel safer already." She moved on as Ben held back slightly.

Chanel held Ben's eye, reminding him of her earlier promise. He nodded and she sat down with Cat and her family as Ben caught up to the new arrivals.

Finally, they found seats at a table with Tina and Lucy who were very impressed with the tall ladies. The Hernandez and McKellan families were working the grills, so they began bringing in trays filled with seasoned steaks and chicken from the barbeques. Different kinds of salads were already on the tables including the bowls, plates, and cutlery.

A short time into the meal Tatiana, sitting at Ben's left, leaned closer to speak in his ear. "You have many beautiful women living in your neighborhood, many of whom are in a relationship with you." Ben looked into her eyes in surprise as he hadn't mentioned that. She smiled demurely. "A woman can tell. With all of these young soldiers living here now as well, aren't you concerned your women will be taken from you?"

Ben cleared his throat then turned his focus on the brunette. He spoke quietly but clearly to ensure she got his message. "Please don't misunderstand. I am in relationships with many of them, but I don't own them, and I would never deny them love, even if they found it with another. I can't do casual affairs as I get emotionally involved." He looked to the women in his life seated at the tables nearby and smiled to himself. "I'm deeply in love with them. It would be extremely selfish for me to expect them to restrict their love to just me. That would make me an asshole. The only thing I ask is for them to be completely honest with me. If they don't love me in return, I need to know. If they continue to love me but also find comfort in the arms of another, I need to know that as well. As I said, I would never deny them love or physical closeness."

Tatiana was watching him closely in surprise. "You mean this! You are not lying."

He blinked at her. "What? No! I won't lie. It's a... thing with me. Brutal honesty. Always."

A huge smile bloomed on her face. "That's very refreshing! My field of work has so many lies."

"You can be assured of honesty here. I ask that you be honest with me as well," he said with a nod.

"I think I'm going to enjoy living here!" she grinned and pressed herself against his side. She caught Tina and Lucy watching her from across the table. They didn't appear threatened by her in the least. They seemed to be just evaluating her intent. "Yes, I will enjoy it very much!"

Liliya, sitting on Tatiana's other side pulled her away from Ben. "You will behave now that we've found a good place to call home!"

Tatiana pouted. "Ben is capable of so much love! I'm sure he's capable in so many ways!"

Liliya rolled her eyes. "You are always thinking of sex!" she growled.

Tatiana's smile grew wicked. "It is such an important element of life and worthy of much attention!"

Liliya wasn't finished. "We're in a family neighborhood. There are children present. You will curb your rampant lust and contain it to the privacy of the bedroom! Do not abuse Ben's good nature."

Tatiana gave her a shocked look. "I would never abuse such a gracious man!" She turned her face to Ben, and he could see a hunger in her eyes. "There are so many ways I wish to show my gratitude!"

He looked back into her eyes. "Didn't I mention I can't do casual affairs?" he said cautiously.

The brunette shook her head. "Unlike Liliya, I've never had a man fall in love with me. I think I would like very much to experience that."

Liliya slapped Tatiana on the back of her head drawing a cry of surprise and outrage from the woman. They began snapping at each other in rapid and angry Russian.

"Stop!" Ben said quietly but fiercely, and they did. "Listen, it's your first day in the neighborhood. I don't expect either of you to fit in immediately. It's a growing into kind of thing. Be patient with us and with each other."

They nodded to him and finished up their meals. Rose rushed over to the table and climbed up on Liliya's lap to get kisses from her Mom.

"Ben, why don't you take them to their new home," Tina suggested.

"I was going to help clean up," he said.

Lucy shook her head. "We've got this. It was very nice meeting you Liliya and Tatiana! Welcome!"

The ladies thanked her then they all stood up.

General Davis stood as well and nodded to Tina and Lucy before turning to the others. "I have to speak to you three for a minute before I head back to Washington. I wasn't expecting you to arrive today but since we're all here let's do it outside."

They nodded and made their way out of the tent. Once they had a little privacy, they stopped to look to the General.

"In the spirit of brutal honesty, I'll be blunt so there can be no misunderstandings. You two wouldn't be here if Ben hadn't made it a condition for his working for us. There are a lot of people back in Washington who don't agree with my contract with Mr. Shepherd, but he's already proved his worth with his last engineering contribution. I had to call in favors and convince some very senior people to pull some significant strings to keep you out of a maximum security lockup. The CIA wanted you to play on their team, but even they didn't have the pull to keep you out of jail. That was me and only because Ben wanted you two to have a second chance. That has a cost for Mr. Shepherd. He's now accountable for your behavior and actions. We expect you to be on your best behavior while you're living here and when you accompany him on any trips he might take. Is this understood?"

The women nodded and glanced at the embarrassment on Ben's face. It was apparent he hadn't expected this.

"Yes, General," Liliya said with a nod, and he looked to Tatiana.

"Best behavior. Yes," the tall brunette beauty said with a coy smile and Davis held her eyes for a bit, but she didn't blink. He understood his niece's concerns about this one. She was a little too wild and willful. He looked to Ben uneasily. He needed the man's genius on his team, so he was going to have to let him have this. But that didn't mean he had to feel comfortable about it. He sighed.

"Ok, I've said my piece. Thank you again, Ben, for your work. It's going to save the lives of so many of our soldiers," he said sincerely.

"Please, General," Ben begged uncomfortably as the two women looked at him curiously.

"I'm done!" He threw his hands up in surrender as he smiled at the big man. Then he shook Ben's hand. "I'll speak with you later. Have a good evening!"

"Thank you, for everything. Have a good flight back to Washington!" Ben said sincerely.

With a final nod to the group and a look directed at Tatiana, the man turned and walked back towards his waiting limo.

Ben turned to the women and gestured for them to walk with him to their new home.

"What did you do for the general?" Tatiana asked.

He glanced at her then shrugged. "I solved the overheating issue with their assault rifles."

Tatiana and Liliya shared a look of surprise. They understood the scope of that and what it could mean for the troops. Suddenly they realized why the General listened to Ben's request.

Liliya settled Rose more comfortably on her hip and reached out to touch Ben's arm. They stopped again, and he looked to her. "I- I want to thank you for giving us a second chance at having a life. I know we would have been sent to prison for the rest of our lives because of the lives we took for the Colonel. I don't blame your government and law officials, but I'm grateful you helped us avoid that. Helped me avoid that so I could be with Rose."

"I would have rather have died than let them put me in jail. When I discovered you and the General were working on an alternative plan, I immediately made my way to where they were keeping Liliya." Tatiana said sweetly.

Ben looked at her curiously. "If I understand this correctly, you were in the wind. How did you know about the General's plan?"

Her smile turned wicked. "It's what I do Benjamin, dear."

He knew he wasn't going to get a full answer, so he just nodded. "Ben, not Benjamin."

Tatiana's smile widened when he didn't press for an answer. "Noted, Ben."

They continued through the park and Tatiana admired the young men throwing a football. She smiled at Liliya. "There are some handsome young men in the neighborhood."

The lovely blond rolled her eyes at her friend.

As they made their way towards 2 Ashburn Court, Ben pointed out who lived in the houses they passed.

"You know all of your neighbors?" Liliya asked.

He smiled. "Now I do. It wasn't always this way, but I'm glad I do."

They finally reached the driveway for their home and took it in from the sidewalk. As he had for 1 Ashburn Court across the street, he'd assured the two mature trees on the front lawn were left untouched during the demolition of the original single-story structures and the building of the new homes.

For 2 Ashburn Court, they followed the design he'd created for Karen and Penny's home; it was a two-story mansion with four bedrooms upstairs, two in the front and two in the back with cantilevered balconies off the back bedrooms. It was bright with plenty of windows to let in the natural light and views of the surrounding forest.

"Who else lives here?" Tatiana asked.

Ben glanced at her. "No one. This home is for the three of you."

"This is just for us!?!" Liliya gasped looking at the gorgeous home before them.

"Let's go in," Ben said with a smile as he nodded to them.

He led them up the drive and the flagstone walkway to the front door. He pulled out his keychain and handed a lock fob to each of the women. "These are keyed to the door. Press them against this spot, and they unlock or lock the door. The little LED will glow green or red to indicate the door lock's state.

Tatiana touched her key to the lock, and the light went green. She opened the door and went inside.

Ben followed them in and took off his shoes. The ladies did as well, Rose wiggling to be set down. She kicked her shoes off and placed them next to Ben's much larger sneakers. She grinned up at him happily, and he patted her head. They walked into the living room/dining room.

"I haven't furnished it yet as you can see. I wanted to let you choose how to decorate it to your tastes," he explained.

Liliya and Tatiana looked at each other then back to Ben. "We've never had to do this before. We don't know how to buy furniture to decorate a house!" Liliya asserted as Tatiana nodded.

Ben thought about that as he saw Liliya's nervous expressions. They were out of their element.

"It's OK. I'll ask Tina and Lucy to take you shopping. Tina still has the list of items they purchased for Karen and Penny's home which was in the same situation as this one. It had nothing inside. Tina has a bank card to pay for the purchases. Do either of you cook?"

They nodded in a non-committal way, so Ben led them all into the kitchen.

"It is lovely!" Tatiana gasped as Liliya took it all in. The French doors led out to the large patio with the hot tub and barbeque range.

"There's a hot tub!" Tatiana cheered as she rushed to the door to peer through the glass.

"The kitchen has all of the appliances and tools you'll need, but it's not stocked with food as we didn't know when you'd be arriving. Tonight, you can dine with us," Ben explained. "Let's go upstairs to look at the bedrooms."

Tatiana bounced her eyebrows at Liliya who just looked away. She was feeling a little overwhelmed by all of these changes.

Ben picked up Rose in his arms before they climbed the stairs and set her down at the top. He showed them the bedrooms facing the street, then took them to a bedroom facing the nature reserve.

"Oh! This is so lovely!" Liliya sighed, looking to the French doors which opened on the big deck.

"This could be your room, and Tatiana could have the other room with a balcony. They are completely private. Rose could have the room next to yours that faces the street," Ben offered.

"This is Mommy and Daddy's room," Rose stated.

Ben knelt to smile at the young girl. "My bedroom is in my house at the other end of the street. You get to live with your Mommy now. Isn't that wonderful?"

"Yes... but I want to live with Daddy too! You can sleep here with Mommy!" Rose pleaded.

Tatiana snorted and quickly slapped a hand over her mouth as she moved away to stand by the patio doors.

Ben glanced up at Liliya with a small smile on his lips. He saw her concerned look. She wasn't sure what to do. He nodded to her then looked to the girl once more.

"Daddy and Mommy aren't that kind of Daddy and Mommy. We both love you, and we're all going to be the best of friends. As we don't have furniture in this house yet, you still have to sleep at my place until we get all that stuff for this house. I'll find a place for Mommy and Tatiana to sleep tonight." Ben recalled their luggage was across the street. "There is an extra furnished bedroom in the house I renovated for my daughters. One of you can stay there. It has a king-sized bed-"

"We can both sleep there. A king has plenty of space." Tatiana insisted.

Liliya gave her a sharp look then nodded slowly. "It would be the simplest solution."

Ben looked to the two women then nodded. "Ok. You can also see how we decorated the home which has a layout closest to your home."

"Ben, I need to ask you a question, and in the spirit of brutal honesty I'd like the truth," Tatiana began, and Liliya gave her an angry look to silence her, but the woman ignored her friend. "How are you able to afford all of this? Are you spending the diamonds you promised Liliya?" Tatiana's sharp tone when asking the question surprised Ben.

He saw Liliya glance at him, so he knew the blond had divulged the agreement they made back in Germany and wanted the answer to the question as well. He sighed. "One of the conditions the General insisted upon when we negotiated your freedom was that I wouldn't give either of you a large sum of money enabling you to disappear. He knew about the diamonds, and while I didn't tell him about our deal, he made me swear I wouldn't give you the diamonds. I'm terribly sorry, but I have to break that original promise to keep you out of jail or worse."

Liliya was quiet as she thought that through but Tatiana was proving to be more emotionally volatile.

"This is not acceptable! You gave her your word!" she snapped.

He nodded. "As much as it pains me to do it, the alternative is not something I can accept. You got your lives back from the Colonel. You deserve a chance at a real life!" The tall brunette was fuming. He tried a different direction.

"What I am allowed to do is pay you a salary for your work for me. Is the CIA paying you?" he asked.

"Only when we do missions and not very much!" Tatiana muttered in frustration.

"As you will be part of my security team and will potentially be putting your lives in dangerous situations, I'm authorized to pay you a salary. I can do $250K a year plus full health and dental. This also includes a scholarship for Rose. I also cover incidentals like travel expenses. I'll pick up the costs of furnishing the home as well. Oh! And I suppose you may need a car. Is this acceptable?"

"Do we both get cars? Can I choose a sporty car?" Tatiana pushed.

That came out a little more aggressive than Ben expected, so he gave her an evaluating look. "Yes, you can have a sporty car as long as it falls within a specific price range. It can't be one of the premium luxury class cars. Listen, it can't look like I'm giving you something valuable you can sell for top dollar to use to disappear. They won't believe I'm honoring the deal." He saw Tatiana was still looking stubborn. "Tell me now to save us all a lot of pain and heartache, do you intend on running?"

"Heartache? Whose heart will break if I leave?" she scoffed in contempt.

Ben rubbed the back of his neck as this woman was pushing his buttons. "Ok, maybe I used the wrong word. What I mean is, if you've already decided this plan to keep you out of jail and off the US most wanted list won't work for you, please let me know. I have no more magic up my sleeve to protect you as I believe you deserve. Maybe that belief was unwarranted?" he said tilting his head as he looked into her eyes, hoping to see some acceptance there but she was closing herself off.

Liliya was watching her friend and was beginning to look concerned. "Ben-"

"Leave us!" Tatiana snapped as she glared into Ben's eyes.

Ben nodded to Liliya to indicate she should leave them alone.

With a nervous glance back, Liliya carried Rose out in the hall and closed the door.

Tatiana immediately lunged at Ben, but he didn't move. She stopped before they touched, but her face was right in front of his. Gone was her smile and coy body language. This was a deadly woman, full of rage.

"Where do you get off making deals for our freedom? For my freedom? What kind of man automatically believes I need his help? You must think of yourself as a hero, saving the damsel in distress. But you're not, are you? You're the kind of man who promises to deliver a fortune in diamonds then breaks that promise to offer shit instead."

She sneered at him, her muscles trembling with suppressed adrenalin. She wanted to attack. She needed to and would soon.

"You can take care of yourself?" he said quietly.

"That bastard of a Colonel, as much as I hated him, taught me how to fight, to kill, to evade, to slip in and out of the most secure locations without a ripple. I am the most deadly assassin ever produced. No one is safe from me. No one tells me what to do. No one can touch-OOOOooocccccchhhhhhuu!"

The deadly knives Tatiana silently slipped into her hands to teach Ben his lesson fell from her senseless fingers as Ben's fist drove deep into her gut, forcing the air from her lungs and lifting her from her feet. His follow through punch to the back of her head slammed her to the floor face first.

The door burst open, and Liliya was in the doorway, wide-eyed with fear but she had her knives in hand too, ready to dance. She stared at Ben in shock as he looked into her eyes with a sad, almost sick expression. She put her knives away as she looked at Tatiana in disbelief.

"You told her about the diamonds, and she only came back to get them?" Ben asked.

Liliya shook her head slightly. "I- I did tell her about the diamonds. I didn't know she was after them."

"Do you believe I'm cheating you out of the diamonds?" he asked carefully.

"No! I understand the rules your government defined and the reason for them. I believe the General is dealing in good faith. I believe in his good character..." she looked back down at Tatiana, unconscious at Ben's feet, then back to Ben. "I believe in yours... but how did you defeat her? She is the deadliest weapon!"

Ben frowned. "She drank her own Kool-Aid." At Liliya's confused look he nodded wearily and continued. "Self-confidence is wonderful and probably essential for an assassin, but she believed she was invulnerable. She couldn't even conceive that someone could best her. No deal for her survival would ever seem reasonable if she continued to believe that. I gave her a glimpse of reality. There is always someone out there better, faster, and stronger. I take no joy from delivering this lesson. It sickens me! I hope she understands. If not, I can't help her. They'll hunt her down, and one day, kill her. I'd hoped she might see what I was able to arrange as a second chance. Do you believe as she did, that what I'm able to offer is worthless?"

Liliya shook her head. "No! I see this as the best option for both Rose and myself! I want this!"

Ben looked down at the woman who was beginning to stir... and moan quietly.

"She's probably going to have a mild concussion. I'll call for an ambulance to take her to the hospital to get her checked out. Can you go with her? Talk to her? Please let her know, I'm done with people stabbing me." Liliya nodded. "If she understands, she can stay. If not, she can run. I won't stop her, but I won't help her make that bad decision."

Liliya nodded again.

"I'll wait for you at my place with Rose." Ben took out his wallet as he walked to the door and handed a wad of cash to Liliya. "Taxi fare for the ride home and some contingency money."

Her eyes widened at the money. "How are you able to afford this?" she said gesturing to the home around them.

"The deeds to the properties. They're mine, and I'm in the process of selling parcels of it off. It's worth billions. The diamonds are pocket change compared to that," he explained.

Ben stepped into the hall and scooped Rose up into his arms.

"Where are we going?" the child asked.

"Back to the party. Mommy has to take Tatiana to Hannah's hospital as she isn't feeling well. They'll come back once the doctor makes sure she's ok." Ben explained gently.

As he climbed down the stairs, he made the call for an ambulance.

Ben put Rose's shoes back on her feet then slipped his own on before stepping outside.

They walked back to the park and Ben set Rose on her feet when they reached the grass so she could run ahead to play with Christopher who was waving at her. Ben slowed down then turned from the party and lost his lunch into the grass.

He'd just proven to himself that he was quite capable of great violence against a woman. He didn't feel good about that. Granted, she was a professional assassin who was preparing to stab him. He was less inclined to be forgiving of himself as he recalled the close encounter at the MET with Stephanie.

He pulled a napkin from his pocket and wiped his mouth. When he turned back to the party, he saw Evelyn, Trish, and Rain running across the grass to check on him.

"What happened?" the Sergeant asked in concern. They all looked down the road to see an ambulance with lights flashing, pull into the driveway of 2 Ashburn Court. The Sergeant's eyes were wide with concern as she looked over Ben's body for injuries.

"What happened?" Trish pushed. Rain handed him the bottle of water she was carrying. He took it gratefully, rinsed, and spit into the grass.

Ben shook his head. "Tatiana didn't understand the true nature of her situation and the deal the General and I worked out. I showed her how incorrect her assumptions were. She probably has a mild concussion." He dabbed at his mouth as his stomach cramped once more.

"Is she going to come after you?" Trish asked nervously.

"I don't believe she will. After all, she pulled her knives on me, but I let her live. That message can't be any clearer."

Evelyn bristled and turned to run over to 2 Ashburn Court. Ben grabbed her and pulled her back against his chest with his arms around her. She struggled for a moment until he moved his lips to her ear. "She needed to learn this lesson in humility. I hope it helps her understand we aren't targets but friends. She's welcome back if she understands, but I will ask you to continue your vigilant observation of her. She is a master at deception and lies with ease."

The Sergeant was struggling not to tremble as Ben's warm breath tickled her ear. The strength in his arms wrapped around her was doing things to her. Tingly things! Not trusting her voice she nodded. When he released her, she turned to see the knowing smiles on the faces of Trish and Rain. Her face felt hot.

"Come on, let's get back to our friends," he sighed.

They spent the next few hours talking with their neighbors as the kids played then Ben walked back to his driveway and settled into his lawn chair. He had some things he needed to get sorted in his mind, and he needed a little quiet time.

Life felt like it was accelerating once more. So much had happened since he got confirmation on the ownership of the deeds. He understood he owed Tatiana a debt of gratitude for ensuring the Mafia were in no condition to threaten that or his family. He was pretty sure she knew he was grateful.

With the massive windfall, he'd assisted Walter with the expansion of his legal practice. So far that was yielding excellent results. The parceling of the property and the sale of those parcels was going exceptionally well. There was a plan in place, and the effect of these sales was going to be a dramatic revitalization of the areas in these cities.

Catherine was blossoming in her new role as the head of his foundation. She was ensuring it was properly registered as a charity in each jurisdiction he was setting up headquarters in. Trish was working closely with her and getting the word out that this was coming. She'd even arranged television interviews for Cat. That was accelerating as well though it was still early days.

His worries about Chanel and Catherine's relationship hadn't been unfounded. The day he'd announced the foundation to his friends and neighbors, the couple had a major blowout about it. Gabriella stepped in before their marriage fractured. She'd pointed out to Cat that she'd failed to communicate with Chanel the changes Ben's plan made to their lives. When she was done, the couple was clinging to each other in tears at how close they'd come to losing something so precious.

Ben offered the Head of Security position to Chanel. One of her duties would be to ensure Catherine was safe when she traveled. The job would expand considerably once the foundation offices were open. She hadn't given him her answer yet but there was time.

Thinking of the foundation reminded him of a call he'd had the night before with Phil DeMonte. The actor was giving him an update on the progress of their movie. When the studios refused to give them artistic control over the film, they'd contacted him to see if he was still willing to back them. He'd agreed, and that had begun a whirlwind of activity. Ben did his best to keep his fingers out of that pie as his life was already too full. On the call, he'd promised Phil to visit the set in New York soon.

He sighed.

He suddenly felt lips on his forehead and opened his eyes. A vision of loveliness smiled down at him. Long, platinum blonde hair, striking, green eyes with thick lashes, delicate brows, high cheekbones, slender nose, and full, lush lips... and the scars on her arms. Willow. He sat up in surprise.

A short distance behind her, Dan Bishop stood waiting, a smile on his face.

Ben grinned as he stood. "Willow! Dan! I wasn't expecting to see you, but this is wonderful!"

He gave Willow a gentle hug and shook the man's hand. He looked back at the beauty then touched his forehead. "What was that for?"

Willow blushed. "For protecting Dan. He told me how you saved him back in Russia. Thank you!"

"My pleasure and he saved me too!" Ben grinned.

"I'm in town to meet a client who's looking to take their home off the grid. I promised Willow we'd stop by to say hello," Dan explained. "We were actually on our way to the client. If you don't have plans tonight, perhaps we could catch dinner someplace?"

"You can join us for dinner here at home!" Ben said happily. "7 PM?"

"That would be great! Thanks!"

Willow gave him a peck on the cheek as Dan smiled at Ben's happy expression. Then they were waving and heading back to their rental car. He waved as they drove off.

Ben settled back into his chair to contemplate how many whirlwinds his life was collecting. His mind calmed as the heat of the sun soaked into his body.

Sometime later he felt fingers running through his hair.

"Simply scandalous length." Ben stifled the snort as he enjoyed the southern twang in Ashley's sweet voice. He kept his eyes closed as he enjoyed her fingers running over his scalp.

"Mmmm, I've meant to do something about that," he sighed.

"Definitely needs a cut," she said, and he could hear the excitement in her voice, the slight tremble in her fingertips.

His smile became a grin. "You ready to do something about it?" he said boldly.

"In the afternoon?" she gasped in surprise. He simply nodded.

He felt her hand tremble in his hair then her grip tightened.

"Yes! I- I believe that can be accommodated," she stammered out.

He opened his eyes and saw Ashley's blush and the excitement in her eyes.

Trish was right. Sometimes it was fun to push people outside of their comfort zone.

Life may be accelerating, but there was time to stop occasionally and enjoy the beauty around him.